Al Bagnoli played three years of varsity football at Central Connecticut State, graduating in 1975. He went on to pursue his Master’s Degree at the University of Albany and worked the 1975 season as a graduate assistant. He was promoted to defensive coordinator after just one season and then moved to Division III Union College in 1978. At the ripe old age of 29, Bagnoli became a head coach for the first time at Union.
His first year at Union was the program’s first winning season in 12 years. During the next decade, Union posted a winning record every season. In 1992, Bagnoli was selected by the University of Pennsylvania as their head coach. In the 19 years since, Bagnoli has become the winningest coach in the FCS and owns the highest Ivy League winning percentage of all time. Consider his achievements:
• 6 undefeated Ivy League seasons (all-time record)
• 8 outright Ivy League titles (all-time record)
• 24 consecutive wins (FCS record – 11/30/92 – 9/30/95)
• 131 wins at Penn – most all-time
• 169 All-Ivy League players
Bagnoli is now the longest-tenured coach in Penn’s 134-year football tradition and is one of five coaches in FCS history to record 200 career wins. He has had only one losing season at Penn and the Quakers won back-to-back Ivy titles in 2009 and 2010. Although somewhat under the radar, Bagnoli is clearly becoming a living legend.