Former Harvard assistant coach Tony Reno was introduced as the 34th head football coach of the Yale Bulldogs at an official press conference this afternoon.
Reno, 37, was previously an assistant under former Yale head coach Jack Siedlecki, who attended the press conference to watch his pupil take the job he once held. Reno’s hiring came 23 days after Tom Williams resigned from the post over controversy regarding his Rhodes history.
“We were looking for a dynamic leader,” director of athletics Tom Beckett said. “We were looking for a great communicator and teacher…an inspirational leader of young men, someone who understands this university.”
In addition to his past with Yale, Reno brings with him something perhaps even more valuable—knowledge of the Harvard football team, where he spent the last three seasons as an assistant.
During the press conference, Reno emphasized that he understands the “honor and tradition” of Yale football and ready to bring Yale another Ivy League title for the first time since 2006.
“I’m the right man for the job,” he said. “I understand the challenge of coaching at Yale and coaching in the Ivy League. We are going to recruit the nation’s best players. Players that we need to build a championship program.”
Two committees helped Beckett throughout the search process. The campus committee, headed by Jonathan Edwards College master Penelope Laurans, consisted of students and Yale Athletics officials. The other committee consisted of former Yale football players.
Reno was a popular candidate among the players he recruited and coached, several alumni said. After UConn defensive coordinator Don Brown turned down the job earlier in the week, Reno became the frontrunner to fill the vacancy.
The Bulldogs finished 5–5 last season, with a 4–3 record in the Ancient Eight.