Clayton Palumbo ’29
Executive News Editor
When Jeff Devanney ’93 was named Head Football Coach at Trinity College before the 2006 season, he inherited the nation’s longest continuous winning streak — thirty-one straight victories dating back to October of 2002. And then, during the second game of Devanney’s tenure, they lost. They lost on the road to Williams in landslide fashion, 41 to 16. To put how shocking this loss was into perspective, in 2005, just one season before, the Bantams allowed only 36 points all year. This was a loss that shook the world of NESCAC Football, The Tufts Daily called it “an impossible blowout of the league’s near untouchable goliath.” While it may have been easy for this loss to shake the confidence of the program or derail Devanney’s first year in charge, in reality it seems a blank slate may be just what the Bantams needed. Without the pressure of the nearly-unattainable record hanging over him, Devanney put the Williams loss in the rearview mirror and finished the season with six straight wins, allowing only three total points in the process. Ever since, that sort of dominance has remained the standard for Trinity Football.
Now, Jeff Devanney enters his 21st season at the helm as one of the most decorated college football coaches anywhere in the country. Devanney can tout eight NESCAC Championships, five NESCAC Coach of the Year Awards, a pair of Gridiron Club Division II/III New England Coach of the Year Awards, the program’s all-time record for best winning percentage and a place on ESPN’s list of the 150 Greatest Coaches in College Football History. With the success he’s had and accolades he’s earned, it may be easy for one to become complacent, but instead Devanney is showing up for the 2026 season with the same motivation and his eyes on a new prize: the national playoffs.
In April of 2025, the NESCAC Presidents voted to approve a proposal that would allow NESCAC football teams to participate in the NCAA Division III Championship effective starting this fall. With the national stage lying ahead, Devanney says the program is excited for the new challenge, “It’s just so interesting because for 20 years, I do all these team meetings and we have all these team goals, and they’ve always been the same, and now we have to add something. Now it’s not enough just to win the NESCAC championship, but we want to get in the playoffs or win a game in the playoffs. So it’s super exciting for everyone who’s involved in the program.” He added that the new opportunity isn’t just exciting for the current players, but also for alumni. “You can look at our TAG [Trinity Athletic Giving] Week last year and we like, tripled what we usually raise. And I think a lot of that is because of the excitement of the chance to be on the national stage. You know, we’ve watched our basketball programs and our hockey programs, the women’s lacrosse program and our rowing programs all do very well in that world. Now the football team could have the same experience.”
Devanney is no stranger to the big stage either. After graduating from Trinity with a degree in history, he accepted a job as the Wide Receivers Coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, working with current New England Patriots Offensive Line Coach Doug Marrone. After one year with the Coast Guard, he took a job in the same role with the University of Albany, his first job in Division I, where he also earned a Masters Degree in Liberal Studies. Then, Marrone called again and informed him of a job opening as Defensive Assistant at Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), a chance to coach at a highly-competitive, D1 institution. At Georgia Tech, Devanney shared an office with former Houston Texans and current Boston College Head Coach Bill O’Brien, who Devanney called a great friend, mentioning O’Brien’s advice as one of the reasons he’s decided to stick in Hartford for so long. “He always says ‘You have it made coaching at Trinity. You have a great life.’ I’m like, dude, you make $5,000,000 a year. But he doesn’t have as great of a life. It’s a grind. Like, I coach my kids’ little league teams. You can’t do that if you’re a Division I coach. You’re on the road all the time. The season never ends.” After three seasons in Atlanta, he accepted an offer to be the Defensive Coordinator at a Division I school back home, Central Connecticut State in New Britain. Even though he had ascended to a coordinator position at a Division I School by the age of 30, Devanney described his time at CCSU as “not a great experience,” noting that players didn’t seem especially dedicated to their academics, and the school lacked a strong sense of community. So when an assistant job became available at his alma mater, Devanney applied for it, getting hired as a Defensive Line coach before being promoted to Defensive Coordinator. When then Head Coach Chuck Priore left Trinity to take the head job at Stony Brook, he personally recommended Devanney as his successor to Athletic Director Rick Hazelton, telling the Courant, “Jeff has all the qualities you want. He’s a true person who will do anything for Trinity.”
Ever since, Devanney has dedicated his life to Trinity Football, settling down in Newington with his wife Michele and their three children. Their oldest daughter, Shea, graduated from the college in 2025 and is currently a Graduate Student at Yale Divinity School. “Trinity is such a special place for me. I’ve had numerous opportunities to leave, and I don’t want to leave. I just love the community. I love that I was able to raise my three kids in one place, which is very rare for a college coach.” A creature of habit, you can find Devanney at Goldberg’s Bagels in West Hartford before every Saturday home game where he orders one sausage, egg and cheese and one Jalapeno Cheddar. He then drives to Jessee/Miller Field to open the press box himself before he meets with Parents and Alumni, one of his favorite parts of the week. “I love home games because I love the Trinity tailgating and the Trinity support.”
The Bantams opened their season on Saturday with a dominant 34-14 win over Colby, avenging the surprising upset loss they suffered in Week 1 of the 2025 season. When asked about last year’s loss to the Mules, Devanney mentioned that the players were particularly motivated, “Yeah, I haven’t had to say a lot because the players themselves are using the ‘revenge’ word a lot. I think all of us who were involved in that game were incredibly embarrassed by the way we performed.” Devanney was particularly embarrassed that the loss occurred with (then) first-year College President Dan Lugo in attendance, who formerly served as Vice President for College Advancement at Colby and has many personal connections to Colby’s administration and community (his son, Michael, is currently Colby Class of ‘27 Co-President).
In the year of President Lugo’s tenure, the relationship between the football program and the school’s administration has developed further than ever before. Devanney mentioned that Lugo has been involved in team meetings, speaking to the program on multiple occasions, as well as inviting the fall sports coaches and captains to his house for a welcome dinner with himself and his wife, TinaMarie. “I’m so impressed by him personally. (Our relationship with the administration) is so different than it used to be and it’s so much better than it used to be,” Devanney said. When Trinity got their revenge on Colby this past Saturday, President Lugo was again in attendance, roaming the sidelines, interacting with fans and alumni alike. When asked about his personal relationship with Devanney, Lugo told the Tripod, “I’m really proud to work with Coach Devanney, who has such an amazing track record of excellence, both in winning NESCAC Championships and also graduating student-athletes at a high rate who go on to do amazing things with their careers. Coach Devanney, as an alumnus, gives his all for Trinity. He truly bleeds Bantam Blue and I couldn’t be more excited to support him.”
Coach Devanney and the Bantams will travel to Lewiston, Maine to take on the Bates Bobcats this Saturday, September 26th, where they will look to open the season 2-0 on their quest for the national playoffs.
