SJSU’s Ken Niumatalolo on Michigan’s Sign-Stealer: “Connor Wasn’t the Best at It”

Connor Stalions. This image was originally posted to Flickr by Maize and Blue Nation at https://flickr.com/photos/53276480@N07/53160181976. It was reviewed on 4 October 2023 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0. Cropped by Pokes News 7/27/25

Former Navy staffer Connor Stalions made national headlines for his role in Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal that broke in 2023. The news was everywhere, and the story was even featured in the documentary "Untold: Sign Stealer" on Netflix. Stalions first got a taste of coaching and sign stealing during his time with the Midshipmen staff under the leadership of then head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Niumatalolo, now the head football coach at San Jose State University, served as the head football coach of the prestigious U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen from 2007 to 2022.

SJSU head football coach Ken Stallions, photo by Jeff Bugher, PokesNews.com

Stallions was on the coaching staff at Navy from 2013 to 2017.

“Connor was a hard worker,” Niumatalolo said. “Naval Academy kid. Wants to get into coaching. He kind of wasn’t really part [of the staff]. He came and did whatever was asked… tidbit stuff and stuff like that.”

Stalions worked in a volunteer role at Navy during Niumatalolo’s time there, where he gained valuable experience before eventually joining Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan. Asked if Stalions was involved in decoding signals even back then, Niumatalolo offered some insight.

“I had some smart kids at Navy that would try to steal [signals],” he admitted. “I think everybody has guys on staff that are trying to steal signals… Just to be honest with you, [Connor] wasn’t the best at it. The guys before him were better. Connor kind of got into some notoriety, but I had a kid before that was really good at deciphering what they’re doing.”

Niumatalolo recalled preparing for opponents who were well-known for their own signal intelligence.

“I remember we played a team, I don’t want to say who, but we knew they were really good at stealing signals. So we tried to cover our guys up, had the big boards, and tried to cover. And they were killing us, you know? I mean, they’re beating us. So we’re still hiding our signal like, ‘You know what? It doesn’t matter. Just come out and do the signal. They’re killing us.’”

The former Navy head coach acknowledged that signal decoding, within the rules, is a long-standing and accepted part of college football.

“Oh yeah. I mean… everybody’s trying to get signals,” he said. “That’s why you see all the different colors now… the mic, the boards. Sometimes the play caller can talk right to [the QB]. I don’t want to say [the Michigan situation] is anything new - it just made Netflix, you know?”

While the media frenzy surrounding Stalions and Michigan ballooned into a national spectacle, Niumatalolo suggested that it gained traction because of Michigan’s prominence, rather than the actions themselves.

“I don’t know why it blew up… maybe because he was with Harbaugh and they were going national,” he said. But he wanted to reaffirm: “There wasn’t anything illegal at Navy.”

Did Stalions or other individuals attend future opponents' games to get signals while he was at Navy, which would violate NCAA rules? Niumatalolo made it clear that he would not tolerate such actions in his program.

“No, see, but that’s illegal,” he said. “I don’t want to misspeak because I have no idea what they did [at Michigan], but I can tell you from our stuff, I would never do anything illegal. Everything we did at the Naval Academy was above board. That’s just ball, man. You’re just trying to see if the signals are… see if you get something.”

*Stalions denies in-person advanced scouting while at Michigan

“They just come to the game and just try to decipher all those signals. 'Do these mean anything? Do the boards mean anything, or are they fake?'”

Asked if he’s spoken to Stalions since the controversy erupted, Niumatalolo said there hasn’t been much communication.

“I have texted with him a few [times]. Hasn’t been a ton. When he was serving in the Marine Corps… he’d text after a win or something like that. Just congratulations and stuff like that. But I haven’t talked to him much.”

Stalions now serves as the offensive coordinator for Belleville High School in Michigan.