SJSU targeting Ken Niumatalolo as next head coach, sources say - ESPN

San Jose State is targeting former Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo as the school's next head coach, sources told ESPN.

A deal is expected to come together within the next 48 hours, sources say. Niumatalolo brings extensive head coaching experience but will vary his offense, as sources told ESPN that he's not expected to run the triple option at San Jose State.

Sources said that Niumatalolo will prioritize hiring a youthful staff that includes an offensive coordinator who'll bring some type of wide-open and pass-heavy system.

Niumatalolo is Navy's all-time winningest coach, as he went 109-83 in his 15 full seasons there.

San Jose State athletic director Jeff Konya sought an experienced head coach who could carry on the momentum from former coach Brent Brennan. He'd led San Jose State to bowl games in three of the last four seasons. Konya also aimed to move quickly after Brennan left for Arizona on Tuesday.

With the expected upcoming hire of Niumatalolo in the near future, Konya appears to have achieved both of the search's primary objectives. With the San Jose players eligible to go into the transfer portal, Konya has moved swiftly to bring in a coach who will bring both stability, vision and experience.

San Jose State's candidate pool prioritized coaches with head coaching experience, and Niumatalolo has plenty of that from his Navy tenure. He coached 192 games at Navy, including 11 bowl appearances and eight seasons with eight or more wins.

Perhaps most important for the Navy coach, he had a 10-5 record against Army, the most wins by any coach in the series. Niumatalolo's 109 career wins mean that he'll arrive as one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the Mountain West, as only Bronco Mendenhall (135),