Navy Football Makes Changes Heading into Spring Session

In the current era of college football, coaching changes within a program often make national headlines. At most FBS schools, coaches come and go, and the rabid fan bases are fed a steady diet of spin as to why the new coach will make their team an instant contender for new-found glory.

Yet this is not the case at the U.S. Naval Academy, where a subtle change to its coaching staff this offseason will greatly affect the program without changing the overall look and feel of the product on the field.

Ashley Ingram, who enters his sixth season at Navy, has been elevated to Running Game Coordinator. Ingram's former role had him responsible for offensive centers/guards, which are pivotal pieces to a successful running game on any team, but he will now oversee that entire aspect of the offense.

On the surface, Ingram's ascent to Running Game Coordinator may seem trivial to some. Upon closer examination, however, the change could spell the expansion of an already potent running attack, which could, in turn, mean more trouble for those on the schedule for Navy.

For Ingram's part last season, Navy averaged 287.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked sixth in the nation among FBS schools. The Midshipmen ground game has averaged over 280 yards per contest in every season since 2009. Those are impressive numbers for any team, but they are even more impressive for one of the nation's service academies.

Grinding out tough yards in college football is a stout task for any team, but Ingram and the Navy staff have managed to do this at a school with a maximum enrollment of just over 4,500 students. The world-class education provided at the Academy means that admission standards are among the toughest in the country. As a result, Navy football staffers have the added challenge of recruiting a very select breed of student—one who is not only a football player but one who is also a future service member.

With all of the requirements that are needed to even be considered for admission to the Naval Academy—along with the rigors of integrating military service as a way of life—it is not hard to see what an amazing accomplishment it is to field a team at all, let alone one that is competitive at the highest level of college football. Still, Ingram and his counterparts at Navy have always managed to do just that.

If it takes a special kind of student-athlete to participate at Navy, the level of expertise for the coaching staff must also be exceptional. Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo is one man who possess such expertise, and under his leadership, Ashley Ingram flourishes.

In the announcement of Ingram's advancement on NavySports.com, Niumatalolo praised his assistant for being a great teacher and a tireless recruiter. He further expressed that Ingram was as good a football coach that he had ever been associated with.

Ingram is a football lifer. He hails from the football-rich South Georgia area, and is the son of a supremely successful high school coach, Alan Ingram. Ashley's older brother, Robert Ingram, is also a distinguished high school coach in Georgia. Ashley was also an accomplished college player as a four-year letter man at North Alabama.

Navy does not shy away from competition. Their offense is one that runs the football, no matter who the opponent is. Although there are many reasons why the Midshipmen shouldn't be on the same field as other FBS schools, they continue to remain competitive every year. Their players will not be going to the fame and glory of the NFL. They will go to the shores of foreign lands and the seas of far away nations to further the cause of democracy and freedom.

This season, Navy will continue to run the football, and they will run it well. They just have another tool in Ashley Ingram to help navigate the Midshipmen to the calm waters of the end zone. Get excited football fans, Navy football is setting sail for a college football stadium near you.