CFB head coach already regretting 2025 matchup with Texas Longhorns
One head coach of a Texas opponent was not pleased when he saw the schedule. Nevertheless, he admires what Steve Sarkisian has built in Austin.
The former Navy head man had some fun with the Week 2 matchup with the Texas Longhorns and talked ball and what he thinks of Horns head coach Steve Sarkisian.
"When I first got here and I was looking at future schedules and I saw Texas, my thought was like why are we scheduling those guys," Niumatalolo joked. ""Obviously, you know, they've always been a great program. I'm really good friends with Mack Brown for many years now. Texas has obviously had great programs for many years. But [Steve Sarkisian] is taking them to another level."
This will be the second time the Spartans have traveled to Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. The first go-round was a 56-0 Texas win in 2017. Niumatalolo has always respected Sarkisian from afar in the college football coaching world. And he raved about his build at Texas and the recognition it commands.
"I'm sure Longhorn fans want and expect him to be at that level, but everything that he's done there, and all the accolades and recognition that he is getting is well deserved," Niumatalolo said. "I've watched them a lot last couple years, just because they're on TV all the time, so you get to see them, and there's nothing else to say other than they're a phenomenal football team."
A lot of Steve Sarkisian's success comes after spending time on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama. Ken Niumatalolo is not, in the slightest, shocked to see Texas' run last year.
"Being around Nick Saban, all it can do is help you and I think you can see what he learned from coach Saban in Texas' program. He was always a great coach at USC and Washington and different places he's been, but you can see he's at another level," Niumatalolo said. "He has all the resources at [Texas], but they're maximizing it. It's one thing to have resources and not capitalize, he's doing that and he's built that program so well.
"They've been a play away from the national championship two straight years, so they're right there. We're going to have to play phenomenally just even have a chance against those guys, so it will be a great opportunity for us," Niumatalolo said. "We recognize that they're for real and as a program from top to bottom, they're for real."
Niumatalolo enters his second season at San Jose State after a 7-6 debut in 2024. Before his arrival on the West Coast, he spent 16 seasons as the head coach of the Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy. There, he went 109-83, won three AAC West Division titles, six bowl games, and defeated Notre Dame in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1960's.
Possibly even more impressive, when Niumatalolo arrived in 2007, Navy defeated Army for nine-straight seasons. He is just the second individual of Polynesian descent to be named head coach of a college football program and the first ethnic Samoan head coach. Niumatalolo was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Texas will host San Jose State September 6 at 11am CT.
