When Navy Secretary John Phelan spoke at the Naval Academy’s change of command ceremony Friday, he noted that the incoming superintendent, Marine Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, was once a linebacker on the school’s football team.

“He even wore the blue and gold, No. 38, as a linebacker on the football team, and I’m told he holds the title of senior-most Marine on the team,” Phelan remarked.

The Navy secretary said he fully expected Borgschulte — a decorated helicopter pilot and veteran of three combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq — to bring the same toughness to his new role as superintendent.

“Get ready, midshipmen. It’s time to buckle your chin straps,” Phelan said.

On Friday, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the academy’s first female superintendent, was relieved by Borgschulte during a ceremony in Dahlgren Hall on the Annapolis campus known as the Yard

Davids, nominated by President Joe Biden and also the first Hispanic person to hold the post, had led the academy since January 2024. She was abruptly reassigned to the Pentagon last month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Her new role is deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, strategy and warfighting development — a “natural fit,” Phelan said.

A native of Springfield, Missouri, Borgschulte graduated from the academy in 1991 with a bachelor of science in oceanography. He overlapped at Annapolis with Davids, who graduated in 1989. He later earned a master of arts in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

Before returning to Annapolis, Borgschulte most recently served as deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for manpower and reserve affairs in Quantico, Virginia. Prior to that, he was commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. He was promoted to lieutenant general last year.

“He is someone who his fellow Marines described as a military hybrid of modern tactics and ancient attitudes,” Phelan said Friday.

Here are five things to know about the academy’s 66th superintendent:

Family man

Borgschulte met his wife, Gitte, 23 years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark. Gitte, who became a U.S. citizen, is a practicing physician.

“You’re an amazing person and, although I may be biased, the finest physician in America,” Borgschulte said to his wife at Friday’s ceremony. “I feel a bit sorry for Denmark because they certainly lost that competition.”

The couple have two boys, 16-year-old Ryker and 13-year-old Torben. In the past four years, their sons have attended four different schools because of Borgschulte’s service duties.

Addressing his sons Friday, Borgschulte told them, “I’m incredibly proud of your grit, your toughness and resilience.”

Decorated naval aviator

A career AH-1 attack helicopter pilot, Borgschulte has logged 3,800 flight hours, including more than 700 combat hours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Borgschulte graduated from The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, with distinction and was designated a naval aviator in 1993 after completing flight training in Pensacola, Florida.

Two of his Navy flight school roommates attended Friday’s change of command ceremony. Both flew in from Pensacola.

Having stayed in touch with Borgschulte over the years, retired Marine Col. Don Chipman bought his plane ticket early last week, saying, “I couldn’t miss this.”

“He’s the perfect person for this,” Chipman said Friday. “He treats everyone like they’re his best friend.”

After completing initial training, Borgschulte’s first deployment was in Okinawa, Japan.

His service record includes commanding a Marine attack helicopter squadron on a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan and fighting there in the battles of Marjah and Now Zad, according to his official bio.

Testified about child care on Capitol Hill

Borgschulte spoke in favor of improving wages for staff at military child care centers and for protecting service members’ educational programs at a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing in April.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member of the subcommittee, asked each witness: “When can we expect to see the updated compensation model, and when can we expect to see implementation begin?”

When the question turned to Borgschulte, he said the matter was personal to him. With kids and a working spouse, he said, he had taken advantage of child care opportunities at every duty station during his career.

“We have increased the wages,” Borgschulte told Warren. “I’ll get back to you with a specific date, but we have over 40,000 kids in our child and youth programs. I mean, think about that. That’s a retention effort, and that allows them to be free to go fight.”

The Massachusetts Democrat complimented Borgschulte on his answer.

“You said many nice things, and the fact that you’ve actually moved toward increasing wages puts you a step ahead of the other two people to your right,” said Warren, referring to other military officers appearing before the Senate panel.

Recent guest of honor at academy

Phelan observed Friday that Borgschulte “has never lost his connection with his alma mater, dedicating himself to leading and mentoring generations of midshipmen.”

Borgschulte was recently the guest of honor at the Marine Corps Awards Ceremony for the Class of 2025 Marine Selects. He closed the ceremony by addressing all of the soon-to-be second lieutenants, the entry-level rank for commissioned Corps officers.

“Thanks for your willing commitment to serve this great country. To serve something bigger than self,” Borgschulte said. “Most people wouldn’t do that these days. In fact less than 1% of our country serves.”

He told those gathered to “be proud. Stay humble. The title you’re about to earn and the cloth you’re about to wear of a United States Marine is earned every single day, by how you live, how you lead and how you serve your Marine warriors.”

His favorite book is ‘Legacy,’ about New Zealand’s national rugby team

At the May awards ceremony, Borgschulte spoke about his favorite book: “Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life.”

The book by James Kerr centers on the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby team, hailed as the best international rugby team in the world. “Legacy” tells the story of the team’s success while making connections to lessons on leadership and business.

“Your legacy has already started,” Borgschulte observed. “Your personal legacy. How your peers will look at you, how your seniors will look at you and most importantly how those Marines you’re about to lead will talk about you.”