Assistant MacDonald a ‘perfect fit’ for Niumatalolo’s staff
New fullbacks coach spent 8 years at Naval Academy Prep
Mike Judge announced he was leaving the Navy football program to take a position with the Miami Dolphins in late February, just a few weeks before spring practice was scheduled to begin.
There was not enough time for head coach Ken Niumatalolo to conduct a national search for a replacement, and he didn’t need to do so.
Niumatalolo knew exactly who he wanted to hire as Navy’s next fullbacks coach and had complete confidence that individual would be ready to hit the ground running when spring camp opened in mid-March.
Exactly one week after Judge’s departure, Navy announced that Jason MacDonald would succeed him as an offensive assistant. It was more like a promotion since MacDonald had spent the previous eight years as offensive coordinator at the Naval Academy Prep School.
“Coach MacDonald knows exactly what we’re doing offensively and knows our culture, so it was a perfect fit,” Niumatalolo said. “Also, a lot of our players already know and trust him as a coach and leader.”
Niumatalolo had seriously considered bringing MacDonald from Newport to Annapolis three times before. The12th-year head coach said this week that MacDonald was a finalist for an offensive line position in March 2017 and for the slotbacks job one year later. Those spots went to Bryce McDonald and Joe DuPaix, respectively.
“There were three other times when I was close to hiring him,” Niumatalolo said. “This just seemed like the perfect timing and the perfect fit.”
Give MacDonald credit for being patient. After serving eight years on staff at the prep school and twice coming up short for positions at Navy, no one would fault the 37-year-old for looking elsewhere. That was never a consideration.
“Whenever someone doesn’t get a job they’re going for there is going to be a certain level of disappointment, but for me this is always where I wanted to be,” MacDonald said. “In the end, it all worked out and I couldn’t be more excited.”
J.P Shevory served as head football coach at the Naval Academy Prep School throughout the tenure of MacDonald, who said Niumatalolo treated them as part of the overall Navy football family.
“I always considered myself an extension of this staff while I was at the Naval Academy Prep School,” MacDonald said. “We took great pride in teaching the culture of this place up there at the prep school.”
MacDonald played football at Springfield College in Massachusetts, which has long employed a triple-option offense. He was taught the intricacies of the unique system by Mike Cerasuolo, who spent 15 years as offensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach in 2016.
While working at the prep school, MacDonald routinely traveled to Annapolis to meet with Niumatalolo, offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper and running game coordinator Ashley Ingram. Those sessions were valuable because the Navy system is different from the one MacDonald was introduced to at Springfield College.
“It was like learning from master teachers. In a different profession, people would pay a lot of money to be educated by experts at the top of the field like that,” MacDonald said.