Jon Dupont will be the next head coach of Penn sprint football, Penn Athletics announced on Monday.
Dupont is no stranger to Franklin Field as he previously served as an assistant coach for Penn football for the past 20 years as well as recruiting coordinator for the past two seasons. He will replace Jerry McConnell, who was dismissed last month after five seasons at the helm of Penn sprint football and 18 seasons on the staff.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the next Head Sprint Football Coach at Penn,” Dupont said in a release. “Penn Sprint Football has a proud and historic tradition, and I am incredibly excited to build upon that foundation. I look forward to leading our student athletes as we pursue competitive excellence on and off the field.”
Dupont first joined the Quakers as defensive backs coach in 2006 and then moved to work with the linebacker squad in 2013. He was not retained under new Penn football head coach Rick Santos.
During Dupont’s time with Penn football, he helped the program to five Ivy League championships and 43 All-Ivy selections, including 14 First Team All-Ivy honorees. Dupont was notably the primary recruiter for 2023 College graduate and 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Joey Slackman and the most decorated Penn football alum — 2018 Wharton graduate, current NFL wide receiver, and three-time Super Bowl champion Justin Watson.
“Coach Dupont recruiting me to Penn changed the trajectory of my life. He leads with a rare mix of toughness and genuine care, pushing us to become better men on and off the field,” Watson said in the same release. “I'm grateful for his impact and excited for the future of Penn Sprint Football under his leadership.”
More recently, former linebacker John Lista has been a star under Dupont. The three-time All-Ivy honoree spent 2.5 seasons as a starter, and in fall 2025, Lista led Penn with 78 tackles — the highest program single-season total since 2019 — and ranked sixth in the Ivy League in tackles and 12th nationally in solo tackles per game. He transferred to Connecticut for his final year of eligibility.
During the 2022 season — which Penn football finished first in the conference — the defense had quite a year, ranking top 15 in FCS in six categories: No. 2 in rush defense (89.2 yards per game), No. 4 in sacks (3.4 per game), No. 4 in fourth down defense percentage (28.6%), No. 4 in first downs (176), No. 6 in red zone defense (69.7%), No. 6 in scoring defense (19.7 points per game), No. 12 in tackles for loss (7.5 points per game) and No. 13 in total defense (322.8 yards per game).
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“[Dupont] has developed meaningful relationships with student-athletes and high school coaches during his career, is a skilled tactician, and has significant institutional knowledge from his 20 years on the Penn football staff,” Athletic Director Alanna Wren said in the release. “He will bring energy and enthusiasm as he tackles this new challenge with sprint football, and we look forward to increased competitiveness within the CSFL under his leadership.”
Dupont wore many hats with Penn football, also serving as the coaching staff's admissions and financial aid, strength and conditioning, and NFL scouting liaison.
Before arriving in West Philadelphia, Dupont had coaching stints at Trinity and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His experience with the defensive unit and linebacking goes back to his playing career at St. Lawrence, where he was a four-year starter and ended his career earning All-Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football honors and team MVP in 2001 and 2002.
Dupont will look to improve Penn sprint football, which has had a disappointing run over the years with three losing campaigns over the last four seasons. In 2025, the Quakers lost their three conference matchups, including its season closer against Ancient Eight rival Cornell.
