The Army Football had another solid season. How much better can the Black Knights be this fall?
If you travel to upstate New York and visit West Point, some people in the Army football offices might see last season as a failure. The Black Knights played the Wisconsin Badgers within one score and defeated an SEC opponent (Missouri) in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Head coach Jeff Monken won nine games for the fourth time in eight seasons (the Knights won 10 and 11 games, respectively, in 2017 and 2018). Despite the accolades, Army lost to the Navy and kept the Commander-in-Chief Trophy because of a three-way tie.
All of the other accolades aside, Monken and the Knights have one objective every season, beat the Navy. The annual Navy game and its head coach’s sense of urgency have built a winner along the banks of the Hudson.
“I always feel like we’re hanging on by the seat of our pants,” Monken said, chuckling. “Really. I feel the same way every year. I feel this sense of urgency to get our team prepared to build leadership from within the ranks. … I never feel like we’re talented enough, that we got all these good players coming back and we’re going to be OK. I just always feel like we’re in this mode of trying to develop players and get the most out of them, and we’re hoping that guys are continuing to improve so that they can play their very best football as seniors. That’s where I am again. I’m always a nervous wreck.
We can win a bunch of games, or we could just flat-out stink. It’s that sense of urgency to try to push our team and get us to a place where I think we can be competitive.”
Winning has become a way of life in West Point, something that has not been said in the modern era of college football. Monken has built something special and hopes to keep it going this fall. Can he?
Here is a look at the offense, defense, and schedule.