HARTFORD, Conn. - Trinity College football has hired Ricky Crayton and Paul Philippon as assistant coaches for the 2022 season.  Crayton will coach the Trinity running backs, while Philippon, who previously coached the Bantam cornerbacks in 2011, will help coach the safeties.  Crayton replaces Sam Belkin, who left Trinity after three years to coach defensive backs at the University of Massachusetts.  Trinity, coached by Jeff Devanney, finished 8-1 in 2021, falling one game shy of its 10th New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title.  The Bantams open the 2022 campaign on Saturday, September 17 on the road against Tufts at 1 p.m.

A 2018 graduate of Thomas College in Maine with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Crayton began his coaching career at conference rival Colby as a defensive assistant in 2018.  He was a running backs and tight ends coach at Maine Maritime Academy in 2019, before coaching most recently at Norwich University.  Crayton coached the running backs and served as the Cadets' academic coordinator.  He was a successful recruiter at all his stops and helped organize both on-campus and virtual visits for high school students at Norwich.

Philippon possesses 30 years of coaching experience in a wide variety of roles, most recently as secondary coach at Southington High School last fall when he helped that squad make the State playoffs.  Philippon has had successful head coaching stints at Canton High School and Bristol Eastern High School, taking both of those teams to the State playoffs and earning a conference coach of the year award at Canton in 2014.  He played high school football at Conard High School and walked onto the Central Connecticut State University squad, eventually earning a starting role at tight end for the Blue Devils.