Tony Reno, who led Yale to the Ivy League football championship and, for the first time, into the FCS playoffs, will take a medical leave of absence, AD Vicky Chun informed Yale fans and families on Sunday.
Sean McGowan, Yale’s head coach of defense, will serve as acting head coach while Reno recovers from his undisclosed illness.
“With Coach Tony Reno’s permission, I write to share that he will be taking a medical leave of absence. Coach Reno and his family have our full support as he takes the time he needs to focus on his health and recovery,” Chun wrote.
Reno, 51, coached the Bulldogs throughout the season, in which his son, Dante, who transferred from South Carolina, was the starting quarterback. However, outside of the games his schedule was kept limited, assistant coaches filling in at media functions.
Yale finished 10-3, beating Harvard to share the Ivy title and clinch the league’s first automatic playoff berth. The Bulldogs then staged an historic comeback, down 28 points, to beat Youngstown State, 43-42, in the first round. They were as much as 28 1/2-point underdogs at Montana State in the Round of 16, but were competitive in a 21-13 loss Saturday, ending their season.
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