Ivin Jasper is entering his 26th year at the Naval Academy coaching the quarterbacks and his third year coaching the running backs.
In 2024, Jasper helped lead led the Mids to a 10-3 record, wins over Air Force and Army to win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy and a victory over Oklahoma to win the Armed Forces Bowl. The 10 wins marked just the sixth time in school history Navy has won 10 or more games in a season.
The win over Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl was the first time Navy has defeated a team from the SEC in a bowl game since 1954 (1955 Sugar Bowl) when the Mids beat Ole Miss 21-0. It was the first win against an SEC team overall since Navy defeated Vanderbilt in 2004.
Navy finished the regular season with a complete domination of Service Academy rival #19 Army, knocking off the Black Knights 31-13 in the 125th playing of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA. With wins over Air Force and Army, the Mids won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, which is presented annually to the winner of the football competition among the 3 major service academies (Navy, Air Force and Army) and is named in honor of the President of the United States.
Navy won the two Service Academy games in 2024 by a combined 45 points, which ties the 2019 Navy team for the biggest combined CIC blowouts by any of the three Service Academies since 2007 when Navy beat Air Force and Army by a combined 46 points.
Navy’s win over Army gave Navy victories over two ranked opponents for the first time since 1958, when the Mids defeated #8 / #7 Rice 20-7 and #14 / #12 Michigan 20-14. Navy defeated #24 (Coaches) Memphis 56-44 on Sept. 21, 2024.
Navy was predicted to finish 11th in the 2024 American Athletic Conference preseason poll and ended the year tied for third with Memphis (Navy beat Memphis head-to-head) with a 6-2 mark.
The Navy offense scored 407 points in its 13 games in 2024, which was a whopping 195 more than it scored in its 12 games in 2023.
Navy averaged 247.5 rushing yards per game in 2024, the 6th-best average in the FBS and the program’s best since 2019.
The Mids finished 37 of 42 (.881) in the red zone with 34 (.810) of those scores resulting in touchdowns. Navy finished #1 in the country in red zone touchdown percentage.
Blake Horvath (Jr. / QB) threw a school-record tying 13 touchdown passes in 2024. Horvath accounted for four touchdowns in Navy’s 31-13 victory over Army, rushing for 196 yards and two TDs on 24 carries, while throwing for 107 yards and two TDs. He scored the game-tying touchdown against Oklahoma on a school-record 95-yard touchdown run and then gave Navy the lead on a six-yard scoring run with 4:34 remaining.
Horvath, with 1,246 yards rushing, is the 1st Navy player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since 2019 when Malcolm Perry rushed for 2,017 yards. He is the 1st Navy quarterback to surpass 1,000 passing yards in a season since 2019 when Malcolm Perry threw for 1,084 yards.
Horvath’s 1,353 passing yards are the most by a Navy player since Will Worth threw for 1,397 yards in 2016. Additionally, he is the 3rd quarterback in school history to rush AND pass for more than 1,200 yards in the same season, joining Keenan Reynolds in 2015 (1,203 pass, 1,373 rush) and Chris McCoy in 1997 (1,203 pass, 1,370 rush).
Fullback Alex Tecza (Jr.) finished second on the team in rushing with 576 yards and 8 touchdowns and was third on the team in receiving with 12 catches for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jasper’s quarterbacks rank second (Keenan Reynolds, 31), third (Ricky Dobbs, 27), fifth (Will Worth, 26), sixth (Reynolds, 24) and seventh (Reynolds, 23) on the FBS single-season rushing touchdowns list by a quarterback. Reynolds is also the FBS record holder for career rushing touchdowns by any player with 88.
Navy finished with a 5-7 record and a 4-4 mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2023. The Mids, picked ninth in the preseason poll by the league’s coaches, finished tied for fifth in the AAC despite having to play 4 different quarterbacks due to injury (second most in the country) and was the only FBS school to start 3 different quarterbacks in a win.
In 2022, Navy finished fourth in the nation in rushing, averaging 241.2 yards per game. The Mids finished third in the country in passing yards per completion (19.0), 25th in fourth down conversions (.605) and second in time of possession (34:38).
In 2021, Navy managed to have the ninth-best rushing offense in the country (225.5 yards per game) despite facing six of the top-35 defenses in the country, including three of the top 10. On top of the tough schedule, Navy had to start five different offensive tackles, five different guards and three different centers due to injury.
In 2019, Navy had one of the greatest seasons in school history, winning a school-record tying 11 games against just two losses, winning the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, sharing the American Athletic Conference West Division title with Memphis and winning the prestigious Liberty Bowl. The Mids’ eight-game improvement from 2018 was the second-biggest turnaround in FBS history.
The Mids finished the 2019 campaign ranked 20th in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls. It marked just the second time in the last 56 years that Navy finished in the AP Top 20 (18th in 2015).
A big part of that success was a Navy offense that set school records for total rushing yards (4,687), rushing yards per attempt (6.1), rushing yards per game (360.5), total offense yards per game (455.8) and tied the record for total offensive yards per attempt (6.8). The Mids also led the nation in rushing.
The Mids were also prolific in the passing game, finishing second in the country in average yards per catch (22.51) and seventh in passing efficiency (176.92).
Quarterback Malcolm Perry was simply sensational under the tutelage of Jasper, rushing for a school-record 2,017 rushing yards, which is the most in FBS history by a quarterback and the 24th most in FBS history by a player at any position in a single season. Perry also set school records for rushing yards per game (155.1), total offense (238.5 yards per game) and passer rating (181.5). Perry led the country in explosive runs (runs of 20 yards or more) with 26. He was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year and the Liberty Bowl Most Valuable Player.
Perry rushed for an Army-Navy Game record 304 yards and two touchdowns in Navy’s 31-7 rout of Army as he helped bring the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy back to Annapolis for the 16th time in school history. Perry capped his career in the Liberty Bowl by rushing for 213 yards on 28 carries in Navy’s 20-17 win over Kansas State. In the final four games of his illustrious career, Perry rushed for 858 yards and five touchdowns on 113 carries (214.5 yards per game). Perry also set the school record for passer rating (181.6).
Navy finished the 2017 campaign with a 7-6 record, which included a 49-7 rout of Virginia in the Military Bowl. The 42-point margin of victory was the largest by a Navy team over a team from the autonomy 5 since the Mids beat West Virginia 51-7 in the 1963 season opener. The Mids played eight games against teams that went to a bowl game and played five teams that won 10 or more games. The offense set a school record by averaging 351.4 yards per game.
Quarterback Zach Abey rushed for 1,413 yards, the second most in school history for a single season, and 19 touchdowns, tied for the fifth most in school history. Slot back / quarterback Malcom Perry had games of 282 yards (SMU) and 250 yards (Army) rushing in his first two career starts at quarterback. He is just the third player in FBS history to have two runs of 90 or more yards in a single season.
Navy finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-5 mark and a 7-1 record in the American Athletic Conference despite a season that saw the Mids have 102 missed games by starters or key contributors. The nine wins tied for the fifth most wins in school history and the team set school records for points (531), touchdowns (73), touchdowns per game (5.2), rushing touchdowns (61), total offense (6,136 yards) and yards per play (6.8) despite playing four different quarterbacks. Navy also won the West Division of the AAC that year.
Quarterback Tago Smith was poised to have a breakout senior campaign before injuring his knee in the second quarter of the season opener against Fordham and was lost for the year. Senior Will Worth, who had been the holder the previous three seasons, stepped in and was on pace to break most of Keenan Reynolds’ single-season records before breaking his foot in the AAC Championship Game. Worth finished with 1,198 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, while throwing for 1,397 yards and eight touchdowns. His 25 rushing touchdowns were the fourth most in NCAA history for a quarterback, while his 2,595 yards yards of total offense was a school record.
In 2015, Navy won a school-record 11 games against just two losses, qualified for a bowl game, won a bowl game for the 10th time in school history (beat Pittsburgh 44-28 in the Military Bowl), won a bowl game for a third straight year for the first time in school history, defeated Army for a series-record 14th consecutive year, won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for the third time in the last four years, won the Lambert Trophy as the best team in the East for the first time since 1963, finished 18th in the country in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls and shared the West Division title of the American Athletic Conference with Houston in Navy’s first year of being in a conference after being an Independent for 134 years.
Quarterback Keenan Reynolds finished his playing career as the all-time leading touchdown scorer (both total and rushing) in FBS history with 88, as well as the all-time leading rusher for a quarterback in FBS history (4,559 yards), the all-time leading rusher in school history and the all-time leader touchdown passer in school history (31). He is just the sixth quarterback in FBS history to rush and pass for 4,000 yards in a career. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting, was named Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press and was named the American Athletic Conference and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. He was also named the winner of the James E. Sullivan Award, which is given to the nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete and had his number (19) retired. Reynolds was drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens.
Navy finished the 2014 season with an 8-5 record, qualified for a bowl game, won a bowl game (beat San Diego State 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl) and defeated Army.
Navy finished the 2013 campaign with a 9-4 record, won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, qualified for a bowl game, won a bowl game (beat Middle Tennessee, 24-6, in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl) and defeated Army.
Reynolds had one of the greatest seasons by a Navy football player in school history in 2013, rushing for 1,346 yards and 31 touchdowns, while throwing for 1,057 yards and eight touchdowns. His 31 rushing touchdowns not only was a school record, but an NCAA record for a quarterback. He is just the fourth player in NCAA history (any position) to rush for 30 or more touchdowns in a single season.
Jasper helped lead Navy to an 8-5 record in 2012 and a berth in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Navy defeated Air Force 28-21 in overtime and Army 17-13 to win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy.
The Mids posted an impressive 9-4 record in 2010, defeated Army, defeated Notre Dame in consecutive seasons for only the third time in school history and appeared in a school-record eighth-consecutive bowl game.
Quarterback Ricky Dobbs finished his career with 2,665 career rushing yards (sixth all-time at Navy), 2,770 passing yards (ninth all-time at Navy), 49 career rushing touchdowns (second all-time at Navy) and his 13 passing touchdowns in 2010 was a school record for a single-season.
The 2009 season saw the Mids tie a school record for wins with 10, win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, appeared in a school-record seventh-consecutive bowl game and ran its winning streak against the other two Service Academies to an amazing 15- straight games. The Mids capped the season off with a 35-13 rout of Missouri in the Texas Bowl.
Navy posted an 8-5 record in 2008 and participated in the EagleBank Bowl. The Mids won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy thanks to a 33-27 victory over Air Force and a 34-0 win over Army.
The 2007 season saw the Mids post an 8-5 record, win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, appear in a bowl game, became the first team in NCAA history to lead the nation in rushing three-consecutive years (rushing for a school-record 348.8 yards per contest) and defeated Notre Dame for the first time since 1963.
In 2006, Navy became just the fifth school in NCAA history to go to four or more consecutive bowl games with a different quarterback each year.
In 2005, Navy led the nation in rushing (318.7 yards per game) as the Mids went 8-4, won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy and won a bowl game (beat Colorado State 51-30).
In 2004, the Mids won 10 games, won the Emerald Bowl and claim the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy.
In 2003 the Mids led the nation in rushing and set school records for rushing yards per game, total rushing yards, rushing yards per attempt, rushing touchdowns, total offense, total offense per game and yards per play as Navy went 8-5, won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy and earned a berth in the Houston Bowl.
Jasper came to Navy from Georgia Southern where he served as the quarterbacks and fullbacks coach for three years and helped lead the Eagles to a 38-6 record and back-to-back NCAA Division I-AA National Championships in 1999 and 2000.
Prior to his appointment at Georgia Southern in January 1999, Jasper served as offensive coordinator at Indiana State during the 1998 season.
Before assuming the offensive coordinator’s position at the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, R.I., in 1997, Jasper spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Navy in 1995 and `96, handling the quarterbacks, fullbacks and slot backs.
Jasper is a 1994 graduate of the University of Hawai’i where he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology/criminology. He was a three-year letterman for the Rainbow Warriors (1991-93) at quarterback and slot back, where he helped lead Hawai’i to a Western Athletic Conference title.
A native of Los Angeles, Jasper and his wife, Donna, are the parents of a daughter, Dallas, and sons, Jaylen and Jarren.
