Yale quarterback Dante Reno threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns following the death of his father, Yale coaching legend Tony Reno, to lead the Bulldogs to a 41-24 win over Merrimack on Saturday in New Haven, Connecticut.

Yale announced Friday that former coach Tony Reno had died at age 52. No cause of death was given.

Tony Reno led the Bulldogs to five Ivy League championships over 14 seasons before resigning earlier this year due to health issues.

A tribute to a legend. 🕊️

Prior to the start of today’s game, the Yale Athletics community honored Coach Tony Reno.#ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/6dCS1iaRZy

— Yale Football (@yalefootball) October 3, 2026

Yale held a pregame tribute for Reno prior to Saturday’s game, and the Ivy League announced that there will be a moment of silence during all conference home games Saturday.

Dante Reno completed 22 of 39 passes and added 39 rushing yards on five carries in the win. Afterward, Reno posted “This one’s for you pops” on social media.

Dante Reno, a former four-star recruit who began his college career at South Carolina, began this season as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, but he suffered an elbow injury in the opener against Holy Cross. He threw for 2,498 yards and 21 touchdowns in his debut season last fall as he guided Yale to a 9-3 record and the Ivy League championship.

In addition to the five Ivy League titles, Tony Reno, who stepped down in February and had been on medical leave since the end of last season, led the Bulldogs to their first FCS playoff victory in program history. He went 83-49 from 2012 to 2025 and was second on the program’s all-time list of winningest coaches, trailing only the legendary Carm Cozza, who won 179 games and claimed 10 Ivy League titles from 1965 to 1996.