Yale Football Honors Late Coach with Victorious Game

Yale’s first football game after the heartbreaking loss of former head coach Tony Reno unfolded beautifully on the field.

Just a day after the news broke about Reno’s passing at the age of 52, Yale triumphed over Merrimack with a score of 41-24. In a standout performance, his son, Dante Reno, who is now the Bulldogs’ quarterback, showcased one of his best games yet.

Dante had an impressive game, throwing for four touchdowns and accumulating 298 yards, helping his team secure their second win of the season.

“This one’s for you pops,” he shared on social media after the game.

Following the victory, Dante expressed that his father would have wanted him to play despite the circumstances.

“I know him, and I know my dad, and he would want nothing less than for me to go out there and play,” Reno mentioned to reporters. “Not miss practice. Go to school. Be around the guys.”

Tony Reno made a significant impact during his 14 years as Yale’s coach, steering the Bulldogs to five Ivy League titles and solidifying their status as a formidable team.

During his last season, the team secured their first automatic FCS playoff spot from the Ivy League, even achieving their first postseason victory with a comeback against Youngstown State.

He stepped down before the 2026 season due to health complications, concluding his tenure with an impressive record of 83 wins and 49 losses, making him the second-winningest coach in Yale’s football history.

“Tony Reno devoted his life to serving others and approached every day with humility, compassion, and purpose,” said athletic director Vicky Chun. “While his accomplishments on the football field were remarkable, it is the relationships he built and the lives he changed that will define his enduring legacy. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.”

Dante, who transferred to Yale in 2025 to play under his father after beginning his collegiate career at South Carolina, has often said that his dad is his biggest inspiration for playing football.

“He’s everything,” Dante said about his father. “The whole reason I play football is because of him.”