Marine general nominated as first non-Navy superintendent at Naval Academy

In a landmark nomination that reshapes nearly two centuries of tradition, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte has been tapped to serve as the next superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

If confirmed by the Senate, he will become the first Marine to hold the top post in the Academy’s 180-year history.

The move was announced Friday by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as part of a broader slate of military leadership nominations. Borgschulte currently serves as the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs at Marine Corps Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. He is a 1991 graduate of the Naval Academy.

The nomination comes amid an unexpected leadership shuffle. Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who assumed command of the academy last year, has been nominated for reappointment and reassignment to the Pentagon. She is slated to become the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, strategy, and warfighting development (N3/N5/N7), pending Senate approval and a congressional waiver.

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Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte in his official portrait. He has been nominated to lead the U.S. Naval Academy. (U.S. Marine Corps)

“I’m honored to be nominated,” Davids said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to serve alongside America’s strongest warfighters.”

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan praised both officers. He called Borgschulte a “decorated combat leader” with “strategic insight” and commended Davids for her “strategic vision” and “operational depth.” 

Phelan also noted the significance of the nomination, calling it a powerful signal of “naval integration” as a Marine prepares to lead the Navy’s flagship officer training institution.

Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy has long been led exclusively by Navy officers. The nomination of a Marine marks a sharp departure and a signal of evolving priorities in joint leadership and force development.

Phelan described the Academy as one of the most “consequential institutions in American public life” and said Borgschulte’s leadership will help shape officers “for an increasingly contested world.”

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New Naval Academy students stand in formation during induction day in Annapolis, Md. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Borgschulte was commissioned in 1991 after graduating from the Naval Academy and has held multiple command and combat roles throughout his career. In his current position, he oversees the personnel policies, readiness and force structure of the Marines.

Davids, a 1989 graduate of the Naval Academy, made history as the first woman and the first Hispanic to serve as superintendent. Her tenure at the academy appears to be ending prematurely.

Superintendents are traditionally expected to serve three-year terms and then retire. A Department of Defense (DOD) news release did not provide an explanation for the sudden change, and her next assignment requires a waiver from Congress. Her next role would typically require a post-retirement transition, which she has not yet completed.

Vice Adm. Yvette Davids has been nominated for a top Pentagon post after leading the U.S. Naval Academy. (Paul W. Gillespie/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Davids’ husband, Rear Adm. Keith Davids, retired last year as commander of Naval Special Warfare. The couple met at the Academy while they were both plebes.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy regarding the timeline of the leadership transition. The nomination is now in the hands of the Senate with no official date yet for confirmation or change of command.

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Borgschulte’s nomination is part of a broader DOD leadership shake-up that includes nominations for new service vice chiefs and combatant command heads across the military.

The Navy referred Fox News Digital to the DOD release on the matter when asked for further comment.