There are several norms in college football or football in general and probably one that sits atop the list is the turnover in coaching personnel. Needless to say, the Army football program is not exempt from that norm and so late last week Black Knights’ Head Coach Jeff Monken added, moved, and shuffled what appears to be the final coaching installation.
Veteran fullback coach Mike Viti will now coach the offensive line. Viti’s Army West Point legacy is well documented as a player, coach, and mission for Gold Star families.
Viti, a 2008 West Point graduate, joined the Army West Point football staff in 2015. The former fullback earned four varsity letters and in addition to his role as team captain, he also served as a Regimental Commander during his senior year.
Following graduation, Viti served a deployment in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After retiring from the military as a captain, Viti embarked on Mike's Hike For Heroes, a cross country trek where he walked one kilometer for every service member killed in action in the global war on terror. He concluded the walk covering 7,100 kilometers or 4,400 miles beginning in Washington and wrapping up at the Army-Navy Game in Baltimore, Maryland.
Of course, offensive coordinator Brent Davis will continue his role in managing the O-Line as he has done every year for the last eight, whereby the OC normally handles the installation/game planning. As such and when it comes to the offensive line, Davis and Viti will split practice responsibilities down the middle.
That brings us to the next move, which includes Maj. Blake Powers, who is now the new fullback (B-Back) coach for the Black Knights. As much attention is given to Army’s triple-option offense, there is an equal amount of emphasis and importance of the fullback role, so much that some have even deemed Black Knights’ football as ‘Fullback U’.
Powers joined Army West Point’s football staff in July 2018 as the Admissions Support Officer.
He has extensive college football experience, where he lettered at Indiana University for his role as quarterback for the Hoosiers from 2004-07.
His father was a coach and he has many contacts in the football world. He met his wife, a volleyball player, while at Indiana
In addition to earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University, Powers also holds a Master of Arts degree from Webster University in Information Technology Management.
Besides that, he has worked with Football as the “all-purpose” guy doing all the away trip liaison, creating the on-campus visits, and working with USCC.
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