Image courtesy of Lehigh Athletics

Despite the enormity of having to fill a giant hole left by Tony Reno, the hiring process didn’t take long for Yale.

The Bulldogs announced a very familiar face in Kevin Cahill as the Joel E. Smilow ’54 Head Coach of Yale Football on Monday afternoon.

Cahill spent a decade on the Bulldogs’ coaching staff from 2012-2022. He was part of three Ivy League championship teams and served as Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator in his last five years with the program.

“It is an honor to return to Yale Football,” Cahill said in a statement. “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. I am grateful to President McInnis, Athletic Director Vicky Chun, and the entire administration and alumni for the confidence they have placed in me.

“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.”

After earning the historic first ever Ivy League FCS playoff bid last season and stunning Youngstown State with a remarkable 43-42 comeback, the standards have never been higher for Yale.

Good thing the ‘new’ face just had quite a bit of success with Lehigh.

Cahill took over the  2-9 program and in Year 2, guided the Mountain Hawks to a 9-4 record and Patriot League title. This past season, Lehigh went 12-1, was one of only two teams in the FCS that entered the playoffs undefeated, and were ranked as high as No. 3 in the national rankings during the regular season.

Cahill won the Eddie Robinson Award, which each year goes to the National FCS Coach of the Year,

Now, all he has to do is replace a legendary figure in Tony Reno. No pressure.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Kevin back home to the Yale Bowl,” added Victoria M. “Vicky” Chun, Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics. “From his formative years under Coach [Tony] 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.

“Our entire community is excited to welcome Kevin, his wife Carah, and their children Patrick, Thomas, and Elizabeth, back home to Yale.”