Former Yale head coach Tony Reno dies after long illness
FootballScoop.com • • sports
Key Points:
- Tony Reno, former Yale head football coach who led the Bulldogs to five Ivy League championships and ranks second in program history with 83 wins, has died at age 52 after battling a rare disease.
- Reno stepped down from coaching in February 2026 due to health issues after serving as Yale’s head coach since 2012 and guiding the team to multiple Ivy League titles and playoff appearances.
- Under Reno’s leadership, Yale won or shared Ivy League titles in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025, including the program’s first outright Ivy championship in 37 years in 2017.
- His final season featured Yale’s first Ivy League automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, highlighted by a historic comeback win over Youngstown State before falling in the second round.
- Reno is survived by his wife, three children—including current Yale quarterback Dante Reno—and his extended family; he is remembered for his integrity, humility, and lasting impact on Yale football.
