Yale is looking for a new football coach. The school announced Tuesday that longtime coach Tony Reno would be stepping down for health reasons. Reno, 52, was hired as the team’s head coach in January of 2012 and led the Bulldogs to their first FCS playoff berth in 2025.
“Given my current health situation, I have made the decision to step down as the head coach of Yale Football,” Reno said in a statement. “When I arrived at Yale 14 years ago, I could never have imagined what this journey would become. The relationships formed, the moments shared, and the people I have been privileged to be surrounded by have changed my life and my family’s lives forever. I am deeply grateful to the players, the coaches and the staff who gave everything they had to Yale Football.”
Reno is the second-winningest coach in Yale history behind Carm Cozza. The Bulldogs have gone 83-49 in his tenure and won five Ivy League titles during his time at the school.
Yale has won 83 games since Tony Reno was hired in 2012. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
That fifth title came in 2025, as the Ivy League changed its rules this past season to allow its champion to participate in the FCS playoffs. Yale got the league’s automatic bid, while Harvard received an at-large berth after Yale beat the Crimson 45-28 to clinch the league crown.
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Yale then pulled an upset in the first round of the FCS playoffs with a 43-42 win over No. 14 Youngstown State. The Bulldogs trailed 35-7 at halftime before outscoring the Penguins 36-7 in the second half while scoring 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter.
In the second round, Yale lost 21-13 to eventual FCS national champion Montana State.
“Coach Reno’s leadership has been truly transformational,” Yale athletic director Vicky Chun said. “His impact on Yale Football, our department, and the university extends far beyond championships and wins—it lives in the countless people he has inspired. Coach Reno led with integrity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, giving his whole heart to this program every day. He cared deeply about his players as people, challenging them to excel on the field, in the classroom, and in life. Coach Reno’s devotion to Yale and to the young men he coached was total, and his legacy will endure for generations. We are profoundly grateful to Tony and his wife, Toni, and their children Dante, Angelina, and Vince for all they have given to our Yale community.”
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