As Penn students finished finals or traveled home for winter break, Penn Athletics announced football’s newly appointed head coach Rick Santos.
On Dec. 16, Santos was formally introduced to the University community in a press conference at the Li Family Auditorium. During the conference, which saw football players and alumni of the program in attendance, Santos introduced his vision that focused on instilling a winning culture at Penn.
“We’re going to be tough, we’re going to be disciplined, we’re going to play a smart brand of ball, innovative on offense, relentless on defense, and extremely competitive on teams,” Santos said. “And make no mistake about it, I'm here to win championships.”
Football teams can have around 100 athletes, so multiple coaches share the responsibility of leading such a large roster. The offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators, for example, are a central part of the coaching lineup and make sure the offensive runs and defensive plays lead to a win. Beyond the particulars of the game, Santos said he believes that the head coach functions as a “culture coordinator,” leading the team on the gridiron come rain or shine.
The Quakers enter the 2026-27 football season having lost 10 offensive starters including senior wide receiver and FCS first-team All-American Jared Richardson alongside senior running back and return specialist and Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Year Julien “Juice” Stokes.
Many standout seniors have already entered the transfer portal for their final year of eligibility.
Although coaching a young team may be daunting, Santos is familiar with it. Last season, he rose to the occasion with an underclassmen-heavy New Hampshire team. The Wildcats earned an at-large berth to FCS playoffs but were ultimately eliminated in the first round after a tough matchup against South Dakota State.
Santos’ departure from UNH comes after a collegiate career spent as a four-year starting quarterback, three-time All-American, and Walter Payton Award winner with the program.
After a stint in the Canadian Football League, Santos began his coaching career at UNH as a wide receiver coach before transferring to Ivy League rival Columbia in 2016, where he worked as a staff member under former Penn coach Al Bagnoli.
Santos said he leaned on Bagnoli when making the decision to take the position, asking him not only what it is like to coach at Penn, but also what it is like to raise a family in the Philadelphia area.
“I had a deep understanding of what this place is from the ability to coach under Al Bagnoli,” Santos said.
He also mentioned the deep alignment he felt with Penn football’s academic and athletic leadership. Santos said he looks to develop not only top-notch football players, but also great people, viewing football as a “platform to teach life skills.”
“Becoming the best version of yourself is my main mission as the head coach of this incredible program,” Santos said.
Santos will get the opportunity to build his new supporting staff from ground up, and decide whether to retain former head coach Ray Priore’s staff — who worked to recruit most players on the roster for next season.
The remaining 12 spots in next year’s freshman class will be filled with “highly touted” players, according to Santos.
“Ultimately, it’s about the young men that have already chosen Penn, and they didn’t choose me,” Santos said. “So first and foremost, it’s my mission to put together a really good staff, elite teachers, great mentors, people that they’ll confide in and believe in … and when we do that, anything’s possible.”
