Trinity College Football: What’s Driving The Bantams’ Success?

Annika Haley ’26

Sports Editor

The Trinity College football team is currently 5-1, with victories over Colby, Bates, Williams, Tufts and Hamilton. Over the past three years, the Bantams have consistently been a powerhouse in the NESCAC, finishing the 2023 season with an impressive 8-1 record, going undefeated in 2022 with a 9-0 finish, and ending with another strong 8-1 record in 2021. The Trinity College football team is clearly capitalizing on the momentum from their previous successful seasons as they maintain a high level of performance throughout the 2024 campaign. The key question when assessing the team’s sustained success over consecutive seasons is: what is fueling the Bantams’ dominance in the NESCAC? The Trinity College football team has a vastly different roster since the 2021 season, yet they continue to lead their conference in wins and accolades. 

The Tripod had the opportunity to speak with head coach Jeff Devaney and safety JJ Irizarry ’26 about the Bantams’ continued success. Irizarry led the Bantams in kickoff returns and was 2nd on the team in kickoff return yards in 2022. Irizarry continues to impact the team as he hit a defensive season high of six tackles versus Tufts on Saturday, October 5th. According to head coach Jeff Devaney, the key elements of the Bantams’ achievements over the last few seasons are a result of, “a very consistent work ethic. These guys work really hard in the weight room, in their film study and on the practice field. They prepare very well.” In addition to this, Irizarry expressed that the Bantams success “has to do with the winning culture that the alumni have passed down and looking up to the seniors and fifth years that have set standards for us to grow into. It is also buying into the coaches and trusting that they will put us in the best position possible for success. Believing in each other is a big part and trusting that everybody will be there for each other. We continue to work hard and leave no individuals behind.” 

Sustaining a consistent winning culture is very important to Devaney. Regarding plans to continue success, Devaney stated: “Something that we work on is we never take anything for granted. During the preseason, we have 18 team meetings. We have meetings every night and all we do is talk about culture.” Irizarry expressed how his coaches have contributed to the team’s achievements: “They use the same formula to help us realize what they’re trying to do and believing in that helps us work and play harder.” Recruitment is an essential factor to a teams success and Irizarry stated, “How the coaches recruited me was they focused on the academic benefits of what Trinity can set you up for in the professional aspect of life and being able to use your college experience is a very significant way.” Offering athletes a college education with limitless opportunities alongside the opportunity to play football is a powerful draw for top recruits. Devaney expressed how he achieves his success with recruiting: “Part of it is I have a really good staff. Lewis Acquarulo, Mark Melnitsky, and Denver Williams have been with me for nineteen years. I think we do a really good job as a staff at knowing what type of kids would fit in and be successful at Trinity. We try to find kids that are talented football players, but we weed out kids that we don’t think would fit our culture or would not represent us well in a college setting because we’re a small college and we want to make sure our players represent the program well”. 

The Bantams are currently in their fourth consecutive year of dominance within the NESCAC and Irizarry discussed this season in comparison to the past few successful seasons: “This season is a continuation of momentum because we came in every summer trying to be better than we were the previous year and it’s been working. We set personal standards and group standards and hold ourselves to them.” Devaney then explained this season in comparison to former successful seasons: “Every season is very different. We graduated nineteen players from last year’s team. This year’s team is very different from last year’s team. It is hard for me to answer these questions because we are dealing with having lost yesterday so I don’t feel very successful, but we are a totally different team than we were last year. We are doing the best we can with a roster that is very different from last year.” The Bantams experienced their first loss of the season against Middlebury on Saturday, October 19th. 

It is evident that the Trinity College Football teams sustained success in the NESCAC is a testament to the strong foundation they’ve built over the years. With a blend of a winning culture passed down by alumni, a dedicated coaching staff, and players committed to excellence on and off the field, the Bantams have maintained their dominance despite roster changes and evolving challenges. Coach Devaney and his team remain focused on continuous improvement, refusing to take any victory for granted. If they continue to uphold their high standards, the Bantams look poised to extend their impressive legacy well beyond this season.