Sykes returns for second stint as Navy football assistant

When Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo was looking for a new assistant coach, he decided to go with a known commodity.

Navy's ninth-year head coach was flooded with applications from qualified candidates, but wanted to be sure he hired someone who understood the unique elements of the program.

In January, Niumatalolo announced that Napoleon Sykes would be rejoining the staff as a defensive line coach. Sykes previously coached outside linebackers at Navy in 2010 and 2011.

"I knew Napoleon, so I knew what kind of coach he was," Niumatalolo said. "He fits who we are and knows our culture."

Sykes grew up in Woodstock, Maryland, and was a three-sport athlete at The Gilman School in Baltimore.…