The 2023 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen played their home games at NavyâÂÂMarine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, and competed in the American Athletic Conference (The American). They were led by first-year head coach Brian Newberry. The Navy Midshipmen football team drew an average home attendance of 30,804 in 2023.
With Newberry taking over as head coach, there were several other coaching changes. On December 20, 2022, the Midshipmen promoted linebackers coach P. J. Volker to defensive coordinator while remaining linebackers coach. On January 5, 2023, the school hired Grant Chesnut to be the offensive coordinator. He held the same position at Kennesaw State for eight years. On January 9, Eric Lewis was named the school's safeties coach and defensive pass game coordinator; Brenten Wimberly was also named a defensive assistant.
Navy and the American Athletic Conference (AAC) announced the 2023 football schedule on February 21, 2023.
During halftime, the Navy honored Hall of Fame NFL quarterback and Midshipmen alum Roger Staubach surrounded by his teammates from the 1963 season who made it to the Cotton Bowl in 1964. The Naval academy painted his retired number 12 at the twelve yard line at both ends on the field, joining Navy halfback Joe Bellino's number 27.
With this victory, the Navy Midshipmen became the first FBS team to record three shutouts this season. Also, quarterback Xavier Arline set a Naval Academy record for completion percentage in a game. He completed 10 of 11 passes for 102 yards (90.9 percent). The previous record was 88.2 percent (15-17) by Marco Pagnanelli against the Duke Blue Devils on October 2, 1982.
For this year's clash, Navy represented the crewmembers of Submarine warfare. Nicknamed the "Silent Service", the uniform pays tribute to the U.S. Submarine Force. The color rush uniform is covered in 'Eclipse Navy', Under Armour's darkest shade of navy blue, to mimic the covert design of a submarine hull. According to the Naval Academy website, "The overall design was intended to be simple and utilitarian to convey the stealth purposes of a submarine's design." The helmet bears an airbrushed Virginia-Class submarine on the right side and a Navy's anchor logo hand-painted with color-changing pragmatic paint on the left side.