There are some lines of work where a new hire has a chance to settle into his role, getting up to speed gradually while others show him or her the ropes.

College football coach is not one of them.

Most coaching changes occur in December and January, just as recruiting is entering the home stretch before the February signing day. More often than not, the first thing that coaches do after signing their contracts is hit the road.

Such was the case for new Navy defensive coordinator Brian Newberry. Not long after he put his name on the dotted line, he was flying across the country, introducing himself to recruits and getting to know the players and coaches at NAPS. That’s the nature of the job, but it’s a job that he feels lucky to have.

"I’m blown away by the opportunity," Newberry said of being chosen to lead Navy’s defense. "I’m excited and happy to be here."

He earned that opportunity, too. Newberry came to Annapolis by way of Kennesaw State, where he was the defensive coordinator for a fledgling program led by former Navy assistant Brian Bohannon. The Owls played their first game in 2015 but quickly rose to the upper echelons of the FCS. They went undefeated in the Big South in 2017, reaching the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs after a 17-7 win over #9 Jacksonville State. Last year, they again made the quarterfinals of the playoffs after another undefeated conference season that saw them ranked as high as #2 in the polls.