Joe Battaglia enters his fourth year as a defensive analyst for the football team.
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’ turnaround of eight games 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 Poll. 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 turnaround was the massive improvement Navy showed on the defensive side of the football as the Mids improved in every major category.
Navy finished the 2019 campaign ranked 20th in third down defense (121st in 2018), 10th in rushing defense (90th in 2018), 39th in passing defense (75th in 2018), 16th in total defense (86th in 2018), 34th in scoring defense (103rd in 2018), 68th in pass efficiency defense (117th in 2018), 55th in sacks (129th in 2018) and 53rd in tackles for a loss (129th in 2018).
This past January, Battaglia was head coach of the U-17 US National team that defeated Mexico 51-7.
Battaglia came to Navy after spending two seasons as the Defensive Coordinator at Bethany College in West Virginia.
In 2016, Battaglia tutored one of the finest defensive players in school history. Linebacker Donavan Hayden, who ranked second in all of NCAA Division III with 142 tackles (14.2 tackles per game), was named an AFCA Second-Team All-American, earned PAC Defensive Player of the Year, ECAC South D-III Defensive Player of the Year and was named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, presented to the nation’s top small-college defensive player.
As a team, the Bison led the PAC with 32 forced turnovers, including a league-best plus-14 turnover margin against opponents, and ranked third in sacks with 34. Second-team All-PAC selection Khalid Pierce led the squad with 6.5 sacks, while Hayden’s 20.0 tackles for loss were a league-high.
Helping the Bison earn a .500 record in 2015, Battaglia led the Bethany defense to a fifth-place ranking in opponents’ rushing yards per game. The Green & White also ranked third in the conference in total sacks, racking up 34 on the season.
Following the 2015 campaign, a total of eight Bison defenders were selected as All-Presidents Athletic Conference selections, including first-team defensive end Nadim Raddar. In Battaglia’s first season, Raddar finished the year ranked second in the conference in sacks (12). He also earned First-Team All-ECAC honors.
Battaglia came to Bethany after serving as the defensive coordinator of Brevard College, a Division II institution in the Southern Athletic Conference (SAC). During that season, Battaglia helped the Tornadoes rank fourth in the conference in passing yards allowed per game (166.5). Battaglia also helped lead senior linebacker Michael Gruber to a First-Team All-Conference selection after he averaged 10.3 tackles per game and totaled 113 during the season.
Prior to his stint with the Tornadoes, Battaglia served at Midwestern State University, a Division II member of the Lone Star Conference. Battaglia spent his time at MSU with the defensive backs while also assisting the defensive coordinator. Under his tutelage, the Mustangs ranked first in the LSC in interceptions, as well as passing yardage defense and pass efficiency defense. He also coached two different athletes to all-conference honors, including First-Team All-LSC safety Marqui Christian and Taiyon Jackson.
Before his time with the Mustangs, Battaglia made stops at both Stevenson University as well as Juniata College. In his two seasons at Juniata, Battaglia served as the defensive coordinator, helping the defense improve in each of his two seasons. When he took over the helm of the “D”, he dropped the team’s opponent’s points per game from 41.1 in 2010 to 32.3 in 2011, then to 25.6 in 2012.
In January of 2017, Battaglia helped the United States Under-18 Select Team earn a 21-7 win over Team Ontario Under-18 in the International Bowl held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Battaglia coached the defensive line for the U.S. team, which accounted for 10 sacks and helped hold Ontario to an average of three yards per play.
In January of 2018, Battaglia was the head coach of the Under-16 National Team that defeated Mexico, 47-0, in the International Bowl.
Battaglia earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management from Guliford College in 2008, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the football program. He and his wife, Kimberly, reside in Annapolis.
