The Albany Great Danes have decided not to retain interim head coach Jared Ambrose at the end of the 2025 season. Ambrose and Albany are sitting at 1-10 overall and 0-7 in the CAA with one game remaining.
Ambrose was named the interim coach in early March, following the departure of longtime head coach Greg Gattuso. Gattuso was head coach at Albany from 2014 through 2024, but left to join Penn State’s coaching staff in February. Albany went 54-69 overall and 30-53 in the CAA under Gattuso, which included FCS playoff appearances in 2019 and 2023.
Ambrose had been with Albany for three years prior to being named the interim coach. He joined in 2022 as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2023 and 2024, he was named the associate head coach, while taking on the offensive coordinator duties full-time and keeping the quarterbacks coaching role.
Albany’s season started with a 34-7 loss at Iowa in week 1, followed by close games the next three weeks. The Great Danes lost 37-32 on the road to Delaware State, a team that has seen a resurgence under DeSean Jackson in his first year. In week three, Albany lost a home to FCS newcomer New Haven 24-17. The lone win came a week later when Albany defeated Cornell 13-10 at home. In CAA play, six of the seven games have been double-digit losses. The lone exception is a 27-24 loss to Bryant at home.
Albany closes the 2025 season this weekend against Monmouth (9-2). The Hawks are headed to the FCS playoffs as an at-large team and a victory would put them at 10 wins for the first time since 2019. Albany is slated to start the 2026 season at Buffalo on Thursday, September 3.
Photo Credit to the University at Albany Athletics
