NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Former Yale football coach Tony Reno, who led the school to five Ivy League championships over 14 seasons, has died, the school announced Friday. He was 52.
No cause of death was given. Reno resigned as Yale’s coach in February because of health reasons and had been on medical leave since the end of last season.
“Today, we are deeply saddened by the loss of an extraordinary member of the Yale Athletics family,” Yale athletic director Victoria Chun said. “Tony Reno devoted his life to serving others and approached every day with humility, compassion, and purpose. He believed deeply in the power of mentorship and invested wholeheartedly in the success and well-being of his players, colleagues, and friends.”
Reno went 83-49 during his tenure, finishing second in the program in career victories behind Carm Cozza, who was 179-119-5. Under Reno, Yale defeated archrival Harvard seven of the past nine meetings.
Reno is survived by his wife, Toni, and their children, Dante, Angelina, and Vince.
Dante Reno quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record and the Ivy League championship last season. Playing in its first postseason game, Yale came back from a 42-14 deficit in the third quarter to defeat Youngstown State, 43-42. Eventual FCS champion Montana State defeated Yale, 21-13, in the next round.
The Bulldogs finished 13th in the FCS rankings.
“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,” Chun said. “Our thoughts are with Toni, Dante, Angelina, Vince, and the entire Reno family during this time.”