Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo knew his first-year defensive coordinator was going to be a hot commodity during the offseason and would be difficult to retain.
Brian Newberry directed a dramatic turnaround for the Navy defense and that did not go unnoticed around the country.
Addressing the topic of Power Five conference schools possibly hiring Newberry away from Navy, Niumatalolo joked that he might need to appeal to the Chief of Naval Operations for some help.
“Maybe we can sell a couple battleships to get the money to keep him here,” Niumatalolo said with a chuckle.
You can bet Newberry has been offered a raise to remain at Navy, but that may not be enough to keep him in Annapolis.
Multiple media outlets reported on Saturday that Mississippi State has identified Newberry as its top candidate to serve as defensive coordinator.
According to GenesPage.com, the 247 Sports site for Mississippi State football, Newberry traveled to Starkville on Saturday to interview with newly-hired head coach Mike Leach. Reporter Steve Robertson cited sources as stating Newberry was expected to be offered the job during that meeting.
Newberry would replace Bob Shoop, who Leach did not retain as defensive coordinator after a two-year stint. Leach was hired away from Washington State on Jan. 9 to replace Joe Moorhead as head coach at Mississippi State.
Newberry played an instrumental role in Navy’s dramatic turnaround from a 3-10 record in 2018 to an 11-2 mark in 2019. He installed an aggressive and unpredictable system that enabled the Midshipmen to go from the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision rankings in almost every statistical category to the top third.
Navy finished the season ranked 16th nationally in total defense with 314.2 yards allowed per game. The Midshipmen 34th in scoring defense (22.3 points per game), 10th in rushing defense (105.8 yards), 38th in passing defense (208.3 yards) and 31st in red zone defense.
Newberry’s base defense was a 4-2-5 alignment, but he routinely changed fronts and utilized an exotic blitz package to keep opposing quarterbacks guessing.
Newberry could not be reached for comment on Saturday night.
