Navy is a football program that is used to dealing with some adversity and that extends to the coaching staff as well.
The Capital Gazette reports that offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper is taking a leave of absence from the team dating back to last week as he deals with the sudden hospitalization of his youngest son.
“I would just like to close by – I normally don’t do this, bring up personal matters – but this man pretty much single-handedly, nobody has been more instrumental to the success of our football program than Ivin Jasper,” head coach Ken Niumatalolo said after practice. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now.”
Jasper has been with the Midshipmen for 18 years and has been offensive coordinator for the past decade, all with Niumataolo. His son Jarren Jasper had stopped by practice earlier in the week according to the paper but was hospitalized on Friday with an undisclosed, “critical” condition the school declined to disclose further.
In Jasper’s absence, run game coordinator/OL coach Ashley Ingram has been running the offense.
All the best to the Jasper family on a speedy recovery from a scary situation.