NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Yale University's Joel E. Smilow Class of '54 Head Coach of Football Tony Reno has announced the hiring of Austin Van Poucke as the Bulldogs' Director of Football Operations, effective immediately.

"We are thrilled to welcome Austin to the Bulldog staff," said Reno. "Austin's experiences and attention to detail will benefit our program and student-athletes immediately."

Van Poucke spent the past three years as a football operations graduate assistant on the Arkansas staff. There, he worked daily with the team's director of football operations on all aspects of team travel along with the preparation and execution of various team events. He also served as a liaison for internal and external team operations, including academics, compliance and facilities.

Van Poucke helped the Razorbacks go 9-4 overall last season, including wins over No. 15 Texas and No. 17 Texas A&M. Arkansas capped its season with a 24-10 win vs. Penn State in the Outback Bowl.

Prior to serving as a graduate assistant, Van Poucke was a recruiting assistant for the Razorbacks. He earned a B.S. in recreation and sport management from Arkansas in 2019 and a master of education from Arkansas in 2021. He also did coursework at Northwest Arkansas Community College and attended Ecclesia College on a baseball scholarship from 2013 to 2015.

"Thank you to Coach Reno for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Yale football program," said Van Poucke. "I look forward to joining the Yale community and can't wait to work with our athletic department, student-athletes and staff."