KINGSTON, R.I. - The 2024 Rhode Island Football sideline will feature a pair of familiar faces, as former assistant Tyler Loftus and former student-athlete Henry Yianakopolos have joined the coaching staff. 

Head coach Jim Fleming has tabbed Loftus to work with the wide receivers and Yianakopolos to lead the defensive backs. Both will have the official title of 'assistant coach'.

The new role is a promotion for Yianakopolos, who served as a Defensive Quality Control assistant for URI during the 2023 campaign. 

"I am thrilled to name Henry 'Yanni' Yianakopolos as our secondary coach. Yanni has been preparing his whole career for this opportunity. As a player, he was a coach on the field and his preparation was second to none. He is the best man to teach our guys not only how to play the game, but also what it means to be a Rhode Island Ram." 

Yianakopolos worked primarily with the nickels in his previous role with the Rams, coaching them through individual drills and leading position meetings. He contributed to game planning, providing suggestions for the secondary, and played a crucial role in the breakdown of opponents' tapes. He was also in charge of the scout team offense and provided challenging looks for the Rhody defense during practice.  

A team captain for the Rams in 2022, Yianakopolos started all 11 games as a redshirt senior and finished with 46 tackles, a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He has two pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. Following his Rhody career, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and spent time in their training camp.  

This will be the second stint in Kingston for Loftus, who served as the Tight Ends Coach from 2020-22. 

"I am excited to announce that Tyler Loftus is returning from a two-year hiatus at UConn to become our wide receivers coach," Fleming said. "Tyler contributed greatly to our program in his first tour of duty here in Kingston. His passion for URI and his football intelligence will be hugely beneficial for our offensive staff and players."

Loftus is coming off a nearly two-year stay at the University of Connecticut, where was promoted to QB Analyst after serving as the Wide Receivers Graduate Assistant. He also held the role of interim running backs coach for the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. 

The program saw significant improvements during Loftus' tenure in Storrs. In 2022, the team became Bowl-eligible for the first time since 2015 as part of an effort that saw UConn accrue nine wins in two seasons after earning just 10 total in the previous six campaigns. In 2023, quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson became the first Husky to surpass 2,000 passing yards since 2017 and helped the team finish with its most 30-plus point games since 2010. 

In his previous role at URI, Loftus 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 and improved in key areas such as rushing yards per game, rushing yards per attempt and touchdown-interception ratio. Rhode Island also had the No. 1 red zone offense in the country during the spring 2021 season. 

Loftus has made stops at Holy Cross (2019-20), SUNY Morrisville (2018-19) and Wagner (2018). He earned his undergraduate degree from Wagner in 2018 and was an All-NEC Honor Roll quarterback for the Seahawks. 

The 2024 Rhode Island Football season begins at home against Holy Cross on Saturday, Aug. 31. Fans can purchase their season tickets HERE.