Yale Names Kevin Cahill as Next Head Football Coach After Tony Reno Steps Down

Yale has named Kevin Cahill as the 35th head coach in program history, the school announced. Cahill comes to New Haven after orchestrating one of the most impressive turnarounds in the FCS at Lehigh University, where he went 12-1 last season and earned the 2025 Eddie Robinson Award as the top head coach in the FCS subdivision.

He replaces Tony Reno, who unexpectedly stepped down on Feb. 17 due to health reasons after 13 seasons leading the program.

"It is an honor to return to Yale Football," Cahill said. "This legendary program has a proud history built on academic excellence, sportsmanship, and competitive success, and I look forward to working every day to build upon that foundation. My family and I are proud to be part of the Yale community once again, and we are committed to upholding the standards and traditions that make this program exceptional."

Yale Athletics Director Vicky Chun made clear this was not a hire made out of necessity, but one made from a position of strength.

"From his formative years under Coach Reno's mentorship to his outstanding success at Lehigh, highlighted by being named the nation's top FCS coach as the Eddie Robinson Award winner, Kevin has consistently built and supported strong, values-driven programs grounded in character and culture," Chun said. "Our entire community is excited to welcome Kevin, his wife Carah, and their children Patrick, Thomas, and Elizabeth, back home to Yale."

Cahill is no stranger to the Yale Bowl. He spent 10 seasons on the Bulldogs' coaching staff from 2012 to 2022, helping lead the program to three Ivy League championships. In his final five years with the program, he served as Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, overseeing one of the most productive offenses in the country. The 2022 Bulldogs went 8-2 overall and 6-1 in Ivy League play to capture the conference title, leading the league in total offense and ranking among the top 25 in the FCS.

After leaving Yale, Cahill inherited a Lehigh program that had gone 2-9 the previous season. Cahill went on to conduct one of the most impressive rebuilds in recent FCS memory. In just his second season, the Mountain Hawks went 9-4 and won the Patriot League championship. In 2025, Lehigh reached new heights with a record-tying 12-1 campaign, an undefeated regular season, and a No. 5 seed in the FCS playoffs. It was just the sixth undefeated regular season in program history.

Cahill compiled a 23-14 overall record and a 13-6 mark in Patriot League play over three seasons at Lehigh, including back-to-back league titles. The 2024 Mountain Hawks earned the program's first playoff victory since 2011 with a win at Richmond. The 2025 squad's 17-game regular season winning streak was the longest active streak in the FCS at the time.

His work earned him the 2025 Eddie Robinson Award, making him just the second head coach in Lehigh history to win the honor, joining Pete Lembo, who won the award in 2001. Cahill emerged from a field of 15 finalists, receiving 136 points and 12 first-place votes.

The timing of the hire could not be better for the Bulldogs. Yale is coming off a run to the FCS Playoffs last season that included a historic comeback win over Youngstown State in the first round. Bringing in the reigning FCS Coach of the Year to build on that momentum signals that the program has no intention of taking a step back during what could have been a turbulent transition.

Cahill could not pass on the opportunity to return to the place where he spent a decade building his coaching reputation.

"I am grateful to President McInnis, Athletic Director Vicky Chun, and the entire administration and alumni for the confidence they have placed in me," Cahill said.

Yale has its coach. And based on what Cahill just did at Lehigh, the Ivy League should take notice.