Yale QB Dante Reno has career outing one day after death of father, former coach Tony Reno

The sophomore quarterback threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns against Merrimack just one day after the school announced the passing of his father

Oct 4, 2026 at 8:56 am ET • 2 min read

Yale quarterback Dante Reno made sure to make his father proud one day after the school announced his death during Saturday's 41-24 victory over Merrimack. Reno threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, enjoying one of the top performances of his career to honor former program legend Tony Reno, who died this week at 52.

"This one's for you, pops," Reno wrote on 'X' after the win.

Reno never had plans to miss Yale's second win of the season despite the difficult news at home. Tony Reno stepped down as coach at Yale ahead of the 2026 campaign due to health complications.

He delivered five Ivy League championships over 14 seasons as coach and an 83-49 overall record. Yale became the first automatic FCS playoff qualifier from the Ivy League in 2025 under Reno before earning its first postseason win.

Reno is the second-winningest coach in program history.

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

Reno originally signed with Shane Beamer at South Carolina as part of the Gamecocks' 2024 class and redshirted after appearing in one game that season. He transferred to Yale to play under his father after one campaign in Columbia.

"A member of the Gamecock family is going through a really tough time in Dante Reno," Beamer said Saturday night after South Carolina's loss to Kentucky. "(I) think the world of that family. I've sat in their home during recruiting. Being a coach's kid like myself, Dante and I have a special bond. It puts things in perspective. Last year at this time I remember sitting in my office here at the stadium getting ready for the Coastals Carolina game watching Dante and his dad at Yale beat Harvard in what was an awesome win for them.

"They're sky high, and then his dad gets some health issues and is gone as of yesterday. I hurt so much for that family right now. I talked to Dante (Friday night), and he was in awesome spirits."

Dante Reno said earlier this season that his father was the reason he played football and that he was "everything" to him.

"Tony Reno devoted his life to serving others and approached every day with humility, compassion, and purpose," Yale athletic director Vicky Chun said in a statement this week. "He believed deeply in the power of mentorship and invested wholeheartedly in the success and well-being of his players, colleagues, and friends.

"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 Toni, Dante, Angelina, Vince, and the entire Reno family during this time."