Thretton Palamo joined the Navy women’s rugby staff as an assistant coach in November 2024.
Palamo helped lead the Mids to their winningest 7s season in program history in 2025, finishing with a 12-11 record. Navy opened the 7s season by winning all four of its games at the Frostbite 7s Tournament, then placed second at the West Chester 7s Tournament with a 3-1 record. Navy concluded the regular season by tallying a 2-1 record at the Frostburg 7s. At the season-ending 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC), Navy split its four games to finish in seventh place.
Before arriving in Annapolis, Palamo served as an assistant coach for the Maryland men’s rugby club during the 2023 (fall) and 2024 (spring, fall) seasons.
Prior to his time with the Terrapins, Palamo spent four seasons as a consultant for the Major League Rugby (MLR) club Old Glory DC, where he oversaw staff operations and designed weekly game plans.
Palamo played professionally for Saracens in London where he won back-to-back championships in 2014 and ‘15. After his stint in England, he was named an alternate for the 2016 Olympic Games. He returned to the United Kingdom from 2016-18 to continue his professional career with the Bristol Rugby Club.
A 2013 graduate of the Utah, Palamo spent four years as a member of the Utes’ rugby club. As a freshman, he led Utah to victory in the inaugural Collegiate Rugby Championship, scoring two tries in a 31-26 overtime win over California. In 2011, he walked on to the Utah football team and later earned a scholarship as a defensive end. He appeared in 33 career games and recorded 24 tackles and half a sack.
Born in Woodland, Calif., Palamo represented Samoa at the U19 level before opting to play for the United States at age 18. He was a member of the USA’s U20 Junior World Cup team in 2008 and became the youngest player (19) to participate in the Rugby World Cup in 2007.
Palamo resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Ann-Marie Palamo, and their daughter.
