PROVO — Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo will travel to Provo on Monday to meet with officials from BYU, his agent told the (Annapolis, Maryland) Capital Gazette on Thursday.

Among Niumatalolo's travels Monday will be a tour of the school's football facilities and a meeting with athletic director Tom Holmoe, his agent Evan Beard told the Capital Gazette's Bill Wagner.

"Kenny is doing his due diligence," Beard said. "He feels strongly that he needs to hear what BYU has to say."

Niumatalolo is among the candidates for replace outgoing BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall after the latter announced he would take the head coaching job at the University of Virginia last Friday.

The 50-year-old former standout at the University of Hawaii is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his family was heavily featured in last summer's church-produced documentary "Meet the Mormons."

Niumatalolo's son Va'a is a sophomore linebacker with the Cougars. The redshirt returned missionary has played in three games for BYU in 2015, notching a tackle each against Wagner, Fresno State and Missouri, and adding his first career sack against the FCS Seahawks on Oct. 24.

Ken Niumatalolo is the all-time winningest coach in U.S. Naval Academy history at 66-37 in eight seasons, with winning records in seven of the past eight years that includes this season's 10-4 mark and No. 21 ranking in the final regular-season College Football Playoff rankings.

After Saturday's game against Army, the Midshipmen have accepted an invitation to the Military Bowl against Pittsburgh. The head coach told his players following practice Thursday that he is possibly a head coaching candidate at BYU, according to the Capital Gazette.

"Kenny absolutely loves the Naval Academy and is very proud of the football program he has helped build," Beard told the newspaper. "Kenny knows he has a very good job at Navy and is very appreciative of that fact."

When asked about the next potential coach, BYU freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum said the Cougars are focusing on the Las Vegas Bowl and their matchup with archrival Utah instead of the potential rumblings a new coaching hire invariably brings.

"For me, I'm not worried," Mangum said after practice Thursday. "I trust the process, I trust that when that time comes, everything will take care of itself. For now, I'm just worried about the things I can control."

BYU tight end Remington Peck added the team wants to send Mendenhall out on a positive note, with his 100th win as a BYU head coach.

"Everyone has tremendous respect for coach Mendenhall," Peck said. "Whether they have a great relationship or not, everyone respects that guy. He's done a lot for that program, and I think it's big for us to send him out in a way that is good."

Mendenhall, who will coach BYU through the Las Vegas Bowl against archrival Utah on Dec. 19, has repeatedly stressed he would not comment on the coaching transition after Friday's announcement and his introduction press conference in Charlottesville, Virginia, last Monday.

On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Robert Anae announced he was following Mendenhall to Virginia, and several players confirmed those plans during a media session Thursday at BYU. Position coaches Mark Atuaia (running backs), Garrett Tujague (offensive line) and Jason Beck (quarterbacks) have reportedly also accepted similar positions with the Cavaliers, as well as secondary coach Nick Howell and outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga.

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It isn't easy, but BYU's football players are trying hard to focus on the upcoming Las Vegas Bowl matchup against archrival Utah. Even as BYU officials move forward in searching for a new head coach to replace the outgoing Bronco Mendenhall, who took the same position at Virginia a week ago, quarterback Tanner Mangum said the Cougars have done a good job of putting their efforts into preparing for next week's postseason game.

Niumatalolo signed a long-term contract extension in April 2011 with the academy, with four years left on his contract at around $1.6 million per year. With his total compensation package that includes a home and automobile, among other benefits, during his time as head coach, the Navy coach is among the top U.S. State Department employees in terms of salary.

The contract has a buyout clause, and FootballScoop.com reported Wednesday that Virginia offered Mendenhall a forgivable loan of $1.185 million over five years to help buy out the new coach's contract at BYU.

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