University of Pennsylvania Athletics

  Family First. Championships Will Follow.
 
Ray Priore officially took over as the 22nd George A. Munger Head Coach of Football at Penn on Dec. 1, 2014 and established a “family first” mantra which has enabled his teams to band together and claim championships in two of his first four seasons.
 
Whether by bringing on board the inspirational Vhito DeCapria, continuing Penn’s long-standing commitment to the Be The Match bone marrow donor registry drive, helping launch successful pre-game Fan Fests for the University community or bringing generations of Quakers together for the Penn Football Family Spring Game and BBQ, Priore has made certain that every member of the Penn Football legacy feels connected to the program.
 
On the field, Priore guided the Quakers to back-to-back Ivy League championships in his first two seasons at the helm – becoming just the second head coach in Ancient Eight history to win titles in each of his first two seasons and the first since 1971-72. In his third season, Priore's team show tremendous resilience and grit to win its final four Ivy League games after dropping its first three by a combined 11 points.

Penn began the 2024 season battling FBS-bound Delaware close on the road before picking up victories against Colgate, Bucknell, Brown, and Cornell. Ten players earned All-Ivy honors, making it three straight seasons with double-digit selections for the first time since 2015-17. The season was highlighted by a standout campaign for sophomore running back Malachi Hosley, who took home Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and unanimous first-team All-Ivy. Hosley is the third player during Priore’s tenure to hoist the Asa S. Bushnell Cup, and for the second consecutive season. In addition, Hosley was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award and earned All-America honors from FCS Football Central (second team) and Stats Perform (third team). Hosley made a start in all 10 games and led the Ivy League in all rushing categories including carries (191), yards (1,192), touchdowns (9), yards per carry (6.2), and yards per game (119.2). The Quakers also enjoyed a strong season on special teams, ranked first nationally in punt return defense (0.20 ypg) and ninth in blocked punts (2), as senior punter Albert Jang earned first-team All-Ivy honors and was named a semifinalist for FCS Punter of the Year.

The Quakers wrapped up a 6-4 overall record in 2023, going 3-4 in one of the most competitive Ivy campaigns in conference history, in which Penn had a shot to play for an Ivy championship up until the final whistle of the penultimate weekend of the year. The Red and Blue began the season with back-to-back road victories over Colgate (20-6) and Bucknell (37-21) and rounded out the unbeaten non-conference slate with a 42-39 overtime win over Georgetown at Franklin Field. Penn knocked off Columbia, 20-17, and took down Yale, the reigning Ancient Eight champs, for a second straight year, 27-17. The Quakers won on Homecoming by defeating visiting Cornell, 23-8, to hold onto the Trustees' Cup for the second year in a row. Under Priore's guidance, the program saw the emergence of several offensive weapons including freshman running back Malachi Hosley, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and sophomore wide receiver Jared Richardson, a first-team All-Ivy selection. Thirteen Quakers grabbed All-Ivy honors, while senior defensive lineman Joey Slackman became the program's 10th player to earn the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and the second under Priore. In addition to becoming Penn's first Rookie of the Year honoree since 1993, Hosley was named Freshman All-America by FCS Football Central, Phil Steele and Stats Perform while Slackman earned All-America laurels from Phil Steele (third team) and the AFCA (second team). 

In 2022, Penn completed a very successful season, going 8-2 overall with a 5-2 record in Ivy play. Recording the program's most victories since 2010 and the most with Priore in charge, the Quakers ended the year with a second-place finish in the Ivy standings. Under Priore's guidance, Penn won its first six games, going 6-0 to start a season for the first time since 2003. Victories included a double-overtime, 23-17 thriller against Dartmouth on national television, a 34-14 home win over Columbia, a 20-13 homecoming victory against eventual Ivy champion Yale and a come-from-behind, 20-19 win at #22 Princeton to close out the year. 10 players earned All-Ivy selections, with seven players getting onto the first team, the program's most since 2010. Senior defensive lineman Jake Heimlicher was named a Third-team Associated Press All-American and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, awarded to the FCS National Defensive Player of the Year. For the second time in his career, Priore was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, the FCS National Coach of the Year.

In 2021, Penn went 3-7 with non-conference victories at Bucknell and at home versus Lehigh. The Quakers defeated Bucknell, 20-0, and it marked Penn's first shutout since the 2009 team capped a perfect Ivy League season with a 34-0 win over Cornell. The Red and Blue scored an Ancient Eight win at home versus Brown thanks to defeating the Bears, 45-17. During the year, Isaiah Malcome was honored as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on October 11 and Garrett Morris was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on November 1. Seven Quakers brought home All-Ivy honors, highlighted by Prince Emili and Brian O'Neill bringing home first-team accolades. 
 
In 2019, Priore led Penn to a 5-5 overall record, thanks to winning three games at home. Following the season, six players were named All-Ivy, highlighted by three student-athletes landing on the First Team. During the year, he saw Brian O’Neill honored as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on November 4, while four players earned Stats FCS National Player of the Week honorable mention throughout the autumn.
 
A 6-4 record in 2018 included a perfect 3-0 record in non-conference games and secured Penn's fourth consecutive winning season -- no other Ivy program has been above .500 each of the last four seasons. Nine Quakers were named All-Ivy, while linebacker Nick Miller was a finalist for FCS Defensive Player of the Year and freshman cornerback Mohammed Diakite was a finalist for FCS Rookie of the Year.
 
In 2017, Priore coached 14 All-Ivy players, including five first-team All-Ivy selections. Justin Watson (Offensive) and Nick Miller (Defensive) were finalists for the Bushnell Cup as Ivy League Players of the Year, giving Priore five Bushnell Cup finalists over his first three seasons as a head coach.
 
In April of 2018, Watson became Priore's first player as head coach to hear his name called in the NFL Draft when Tampa Bay selected him in the fifth round as Penn's first NFL Draft Pick since 2002. A five-time All-American, Watson blossomed under during Priore's tenure, setting Penn's career records in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and all-purpose yards while also establishing new Ivy League records in career 100-yard games, consecutive games with a reception, and consecutive games with a receiving touchdown
 
Priore coached the Quakers to their eighth back-to-back championship run with a second consecutive 6-1 Ivy League run in 2016. The Red and Blue were a perfect 3-0 on NBC Sports Network in 2016, bringing Priore’s all-time record in Friday night showcases on NBCSN to 4-0.
 
2016 saw Priore defeat a Top-25 opponent for the second consecutive season as the Quakers stunned No. 22/24 Harvard with two touchdowns in the final 15 seconds in a 27-14 win to put Penn back in the title hunt. One week later, Penn’s 18th Ivy League crown was secured with a 42-20 drubbing of Cornell in Ithaca.
 
In 2016, Priore became just the seventh head coach in Ivy League football history to win an Ivy League championship in his first year at the helm as the Red and Blue went 6-1 in the Ivy League – earning Priore Ivy League Coach of the Year honors in the process. In addition, Priore's first season as head coach earned him a selection as a finalist for the STATS FCS Coach of the Year Award.
 
Priore's first career win as head coach was a signature one. He led his team up the Main Line to No. 4 Villanova and secured Penn's first win over the Wildcats since 1911 -- also the program's first-ever road victory over a Top-5 opponent. Later in 2015, Priore would take his team to Cambridge and knock off No. 12 Harvard, 35-25, to give Penn its first season with two road wins over Top-25 opponents in its storied football history.
 
A veteran of the Red and Blue coaching staff as he enters his 32nd year on the Quakers sideline in 2018, Priore's has been a part of 12 overall Ivy league titles while patrolling the Red and Blue's sidelines. Prior to taking the helm of the Quakers, he spent 16 seasons as Penn’s defensive coordinator and secondaries coach, and nine as the associate head coach.
 
Throughout his tenure, the defense has been a traditional strength for the Quakers and has been especially key during each of Penn's Ivy League championship seasons - including the 2015 campaign where Priore saw linebacker Tyler Drake win the Ivy League's Asa S. Bushnell Cup as Defensive Player of the Year and earn third-team AP and STATS FCS All-American honors. Drake led five All-Ivy selections for the defense in 2015.
 
In total, Priore's first season as head coach resulted in 11 All-Ivy selections -- and four first-team honorees. Both of those numbers were the most by a Penn team since 2012.
 
While Priore spent his first 28 years as a coach on the defensive side of the ball, he has set up his team to excel on the offensive side as head coach. In 2015, the Quakers were second in the Ivy League -- and 24th nationally -- in scoring offense -- averaging 32.9 points-per-game. First-team All-Ivy quarterback Alek Torgersen was second among all FCS signal-callers in completion percentage (69.1%) while third-team All-American, first-team All-Ivy wide receiver, and runner-up for Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Justin Watson led the Ivy League in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
 
In 2010, for the third straight season, the Quakers led the Ivy League in scoring defense and rushing defense. Penn ranked No. 1 in the nation in rush defense (73.6 yards/game) and No. 2 in the country in scoring defense 14.5 (points/game). Penn also led the Ivies in sacks and tackles for loss for the second straight year.
 
In 2009, Priore finished as runner-up for the National Coordinator of the Year award after guiding Penn’s defense to the top of the FCS. How dominant were the Quakers?
* Penn finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense, allowing just 217.6 yards per game.
* The Quakers were also tops in the country in scoring defense as the only team in the country that gave up less than 10 points per game (9.6).
* The 2009 season marked the fewest points allowed by a Penn defense in a 10-game season since 1927.
* Penn gave up no more than seven points in any of the last five games, and gave up a total of just 10 points in the fourth quarter all year.
* At home, Penn's defense gave up just two touchdowns all season and just 17 total points in five games (3.2 per game).
* During one stretch, Penn's defense held opponents scoreless for 183 minutes, 42 seconds. A span of more than 12 quarters without giving up a single point.
* The Quakers, who also led the Ivy League in every major defensive category, were second in the FCS in rushing defense and pass efficiency defense. In all, Penn finished in the top 10 in the nation in eight defensive categories.
* Penn was the least penalized team in all of Division I (FBS and FCS). More disciplined than Navy, who finished second.
* Penn led the nation in red zone defense. The opposition did not score on half of its red zone possessions. In fact, on 22 attempts, opponents had almost as many turnovers (five) as touchdowns (seven).
 
In 2008, Priore directed a squad that ranked fourth in the nation in total defense and scoring defense, ninth in the country in rushing defense and 13th in pass defense. The Penn defense, which also finished first in the Ivy League in total defense and pass defense, had seven All-Ivy honorees, including first-teamer and All-America defensive back Chris Wynn.
 
Penn’s Ivy title season in 2003 was a typical campaign for the Red and Blue defense under Priore, as the Quakers brought home their seventh Ivy trophy under his direction. They led the Ivy League in scoring and rushing defense (fourth in the NCAA) for the third-straight year and also ranked first in the Ivy League in total defense and turnover margin.
 
Priore’s defenses have always been among the best in the Ivy League and the nation, but perhaps the only one to rival the 2009 team's dominance was his 2002 unit, which held Ivy opponents to 43.6 yards per game on the ground. That year, Penn’s title-winning defense also ranked tops in I-AA in rush defense (55.8 ypg) and scoring defense (13.2 ppg) and first in the Ivy League in total defense (275.6 ypg), scoring defense, rush defense, pass efficiency defense (98.6 rating) and fewest first downs allowed (149).
 
Thirty-eight members of Priore’s defense were named first-team All-Ivy over the final 10 seasons of Priore's tenure as Associate Head Coach, including 12 members of the secondary. Linebacker Jake Lewko was recognized as the 2009 Co-Ivy League MVP and signed with the NFL's Tennessee Titans during the 2010 NFL Draft and three-time All-Ivy recipient Brandon Copeland was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. In addition, four members of Priore's secondary have signed NFL free agent contracts (2004 unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection Duvol Thompson signed with the St. Louis Rams; 2002 unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection Vince Alexander signed with the New York Jets; Kunle Williams signed with Cincinnati; and Stephen Faulk signed with San Francisco).
 
Thirty-five members of Priore’s secondaries were named to the All-Ivy teams in that 10-year span - Alexander (twice), Greg Ambrogi, Bryan Arguello, Bradford Blackmon, D.L. Bouldrick, Rudy Brown, Sam Chwarzynski, Casey Edgar, Britton Ertman, Faulk, Kevin Gray, Matt Hamscher (twice), Evan Jackson (twice), Sebastian Jaskowski, Michael Johns, Pat Kimener, Fred Plaza, Josh Powers, Tyson Maugle (twice), Pat McManus, Jonathan Moore, Kevin Stefanski, Thompson (twice), Dave Twamley, Scotty Williams (twice), Dan Wilk, Kunle Williams and Chris Wynn (three times).
 
Priore resides in Mt. Laurel, N.J., with his wife, Colleen and daughters, Jenna, Madison and Kristen.   THE PRIORE FILE Coaching Experience George A. Munger Head Coach of Football — Penn, 2015-present Associate Head Coach — Penn, 2006-2014 Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach — Penn, 1999-2014 Recruiting Coordinator — Penn, 1992-2005 Special Teams Coordinator — Penn, 1995-98 Defensive Ends Coach — Penn, 1991-98 Outside Linebackers Coach — Penn, 1988-89 Assistant Linebackers Coach — Penn, 1987 Defensive Backs Coach — Albany, 1985-86
First Year at Penn 1987 Alma Mater Albany, 1985 Hometown Long Beach, N.Y. Residence Mt. Laurel, N.J. 

Education 1986 Masters, University at Albany 1985 B.A., University at Albany
Family
Wife, Colleen
Daughters, Jenna, Madison and Kristen