Reno Ferri - Associate Head Coach | Tight Ends - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Reno Ferri

Title:
Associate Head Coach | Tight Ends
Email:
Phone:
(330) 972-7466

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Reno Ferri is in his second season as associate head coach and tight ends coach for University of Akron head coach Joe Moorhead in 2023.

A veteran coach with strong recruiting ties, Ferri returned to Akron after six seasons at Syracuse. He was named tight ends coach for the Orange in Jan. 2016 and began overseeing the inside receivers in 2018.

Ferri’s work helped the Orange produce three of the four highest total offense seasons in program history, including the second 6,000-yard campaign in the Syracuse annals in 2018. Additionally, his mentorship has aided in the development of Orange standouts Luke Benson, Aaron Hackett, Sean Riley, Ravian Pierce and Chris Elmore.

In 2020, Hackett tied Syracuse’s career record for touchdowns by a tight end (9). He had been one of the best red-zone threats in the ACC for the last few years of his SU career. Hackett’s six TD catches in 2019 were second among ACC tight ends and the most for an Orange player at the position since 2011. Riley, who signed a free agent contract with New England Patriots after the 2019 season, snagged 36 passes in his final campaign to finish No. 10 in school history with 119 receptions. Overall, 84 percent (100 out of 119) of Riley’s career catches came in the two seasons with Ferri.

In 2018, Ferri’s units contributed to a record-setting offense that powered the Orange to a 10-3 record and a Camping World Bowl victory against West Virginia. Syracuse tallied a program-best 523 points and tied the school record with 62 touchdowns. Riley led the team with 64 catches and ranked sixth in the conference in receptions per game (4.9) on his way to All-ACC Third Team honors.

Ferri’s guidance of Pierce aided a 2017 Syracuse passing attack that ranked second in the ACC at 294.8 yards per game. Pierce caught 29 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns, the most receptions for an Orange tight end since Beckett Wales had 35 in 2012.

Ferri arrived at Syracuse in 2016 after spending the previous five seasons at Towson where he worked with the running backs, fullbacks and tight ends. He was also the recruiting coordinator for the Tigers from 2011-15.

In Ferri’s three seasons as running backs coach, Towson averaged more than 230 yards rushing per game and posted an overall record of 29-10. In 2013, the Tigers ran for more than 240 yards per contest en route to a 13-3 record and an appearance in the FCS title game.

Under Ferri’s guidance, the Towson ground attack shattered virtually every school record. His 2013 stable of backs rushed for a school-record 3,830 yards and scored 55 touchdowns. In 2011, Ferri’s first year leading the unit, the group averaged 229.9 yards per game, a mark that led the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

Individually, Ferri coached four Towson ball carriers who earned All-CAA honors and three FCS All-Americans. In 2013, former Baltimore Ravens running back Terrance West set the FCS season records for rushing yards (2,509) and rushing touchdowns (41). West was a first-team All-American and was named the CAA Player of the Year. As a freshman in 2011, West led the FCS with 29 rushing scores. He was tabbed the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year and captured the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS football. West entered the NFL Draft after his junior year and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round. Ferri pupils Tyler Wharton and Emmanuel Holder also earned All-America honors during that time. Additionally, Darius Victor was tabbed as the CAA Rookie of the Year en route to earning All-America honors.

Prior to his stint at Towson, Ferri spent six seasons at Akron. He joined the Zips In 2004 as a graduate assistant coach for offense. The following year, he served as Akron’s director of football operations and was part of a Zips staff that guided the team to the 2005 Mid-American Conference (MAC) title and a berth in the Motor City Bowl.

Ferri was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2006 and was named running backs coach the following season, a position he held for three years. During that time, he mentored All-MAC selection Bryan Williams and Dennis Kennedy. In 2008, Kennedy ran for 1,321 yards, the third-best season rushing total in Akron history at the time, and set the school season records for both rushing touchdowns (17) and total touchdowns (18).

Ferri was Akron’s recruiting coordinator from 2005 to 2009, leading an effort that resulted in Akron landing the No. 1 class in the MAC three years running from 2005-07.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Ferri is a 2000 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. A three-year letterwinner at running back, he was a member of the first Army West Point team to compete in Conference USA. As a rookie in 1996, Ferri was part of a nationally-ranked Black Knights squad that was 10-2 and played Auburn in the Independence Bowl.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in general management with a minor in systems engineering, Ferri began his coaching career in 2000 as a graduate
assistant at West Point.

A first lieutenant in the U.S. Army from May 2000 to March 2002, Ferri served as a fire direction officer and battalion survey officer. He also previously worked as consultant for British Petroleum. A systems engineer, Ferri and his team designed and implemented a web-based tracking system for BP to monitor the 16,000 vessels responding to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ferri and his wife, Rebekah, have four children – Giana, Zola, Sofie and Reno III.

1-8-22