When did Tony Reno pass away?

Tony Reno passed away on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the age of 52.

What were Dante Reno's statistics against Merrimack?

Dante Reno threw for 298 yards, completed 56.4% of his passes, recorded 4 touchdowns, and threw 1 interception, finishing with a 149.3 QBRat.

Yale Quarterback Dante Reno Leads Emotional Comeback Win Day After Father's Death

The short version

Tony Reno, the 52-year-old former Yale head football coach and father of quarterback Dante Reno, passed away on Friday, October 2, 2026.

On Saturday, October 3, 2026, Dante Reno threw for 298 yards with four touchdowns and one interception at the Yale Bowl.

Dante Reno's performance powered Yale to a 41-24 comeback victory over the Merrimack Warriors.

Tony Reno had stepped down from the football program after 14 years due to health reasons less than a year prior to his passing.

Tony Reno, the former Yale head football coach who guided the program to five Ivy League titles, passed away on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the age of 52. His death came less than a year after he stepped down from his position due to health reasons, according to Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports.

How did Dante Reno perform on the field?

Just one day after his father's passing, quarterback Dante Reno threw for 298 yards and recorded four touchdowns to lead Yale to a 41-24 victory over the Merrimack Warriors on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Yahoo Sports notes that Dante Reno completed 56.4% of his passes, tossed one interception, and posted a 149.3 QBRat during the Ivy League matchup at the Yale Bowl.

While Bleacher Report described the game as a fourteen-point comeback victory, the final score reflected a 17-point win for the Bulldogs. The performance marked a stark turnaround for Yale, which had previously suffered a 38-25 loss to Cornell in a game where backup quarterback Hewitt played due to an injury to Dante Reno, according to the Yale Football Blog.

What did Dante Reno and analysts say about the game?

Speaking on ESPN Radio via X, Dante Reno shared his motivation for taking the field:

"What would Tony do? I want to do everything I can to help honor his life. The best memories I'm going to have are the ones we had after games and practices."

Courtny Cronin of Bleacher Report and ESPN Radio stated that she was "in awe of the strength and poise Dante Reno showed last week after losing his father and guiding Yale to a comeback win (where he threw 4 TDs no less) one day later."

What happens next for the Yale football team?

No specific future scheduled dates, pending decisions, or response timelines are provided in the source material beyond the ongoing 2026 Yale football schedule, which features upcoming games against Dartmouth, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Columbia according to Yahoo Sports.