Rhode Island Football welcomes back former assistant Tyler Loftus and former student-athlete Henry Yianakopolos as part of the coaching staff for the 2024 season. Yianakopolos, who previously served as a Defensive Quality Control assistant, has been promoted to lead the defensive backs, while Loftus will work with the wide receivers. Both will hold the official title of 'assistant coach' under head coach Jim Fleming.

By the Numbers
  • Yianakopolos finished his senior season with 46 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
  • During Loftus' previous role at URI, he played a crucial role in the development of Stats Perform Third Team All-American Joey Kenney and All-CAA Football First Team honoree Caleb Warren. The 2021 URI offense was third in the conference in points per game.
State of Play
  • Yianakopolos is set to lead the defensive backs, drawing on his experience as a player and previous role with the Rams.
  • Loftus, returning from UConn, will be working with the wide receivers, leveraging his previous experience at URI and significant improvements seen during his tenure at the University of Connecticut.
  • The Rhode Island Football season begins at home against Holy Cross on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Bottom Line

Rhode Island Football strengthens its coaching staff with the promotion of Yianakopolos and the return of Loftus, aiming to leverage their expertise for a successful 2024 season.