George Chaump

Navy offensive coordinator Greg Briner was fired in the aftermath of the Midshipmen's 56-14 season-opening loss to San Diego State. Coach George Chaump said Briner was fired for what he called "philosophical differences in running a football program." San Diego State outgained Navy, 503 yards to 232. Briner came to the Naval Academy last season after three years at Marshall. Briner helped lead the Thundering Herd to the Division I-AA national championship in 1992.

Gene Stallings, former coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, has been interviewed for the vacant head coaching job at Navy, the Phoenix Gazette reported. The newspaper said Stallings, who owns a ranch in Paris, Tex., was interviewed in Dallas by Jack Lengyel, Navy athletic director. Stallings told the Annapolis Capital: "If I were going to go back to the college level, Navy would be one of the few places I would consider."

Quarterback Rick Mirer passed for three touchdowns and a career-best 303 yards as No. 5 Notre Dame defeated winless Navy, 38-0, Saturday at South Bend, Ind. The Irish (8-1) took command in the first half on Mirer's two-yard pass to Derek Brown, Craig Hentrich's 35-yard field goal, and on Mirer's nine-yard pass to Jerome Bettis only 12 seconds before halftime.

Navy rolled the dice early against No. 10-ranked Notre Dame, and the Middies paid when the numbers came up wrong. Reggie Brooks ran for a touchdown and caught one of Rick Mirer's two scoring passes in a 24-point second quarter as Notre Dame defeated winless Navy, 38-7, Saturday for their 29th consecutive victory over the Midshipmen.

Coach Lou Holtz insisted he didn't raise his voice at halftime. Someone, however, got the message through loud and clear to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, the nation's No. 2 team, was staring at a 24-17 deficit at halftime against Navy, a team considered little more than a tuneup for a Nov. 13 showdown with top-ranked Florida State. "I allowed our seniors to say some words at halftime. There was no ranting and raving," Holtz said.

Marshall University Coach George Chaump, who has never had a losing season in eight years of college coaching, was named today as the Naval Academy's 33rd head football coach. Chaump, 53, has been head coach at Marshall for four seasons, compiling a 33-16-1 record. The new coach will replace Elliott Uzelac, who was fired by Navy last month. Navy hasn't had a winning season since the Middies went 6-5 in 1982. They were 3-8 last season.

Senior co-captain Jason Van Matre and his Naval Academy teammates were watching a film Wednesday afternoon highlighting the 100-year history of the Army-Navy football rivalry, which resumes Saturday at Giants Stadium. "The film ends with our last-minute 17-16 victory over Army at the Meadowlands in 1989," Van Matre recalled. "Alton Grizzard, our quarterback, made a number of great runs and put us in position for the winning field goal.

Patmon Malcom made a field goal Saturday that will live proudly in Army-Navy football lore. Actually, he made it twice. After a delay-of-game penalty, Malcom had to try the winning kick again. His 49-yard field goal, the longest of his career, with 12 seconds to play capped a 17-point comeback and lifted Army to a 25-24 victory in the 93rd meeting of the service academies. Another kick? No big deal. He has had practice--in his mind.