The Bryant Bulldogs football program represents Bryant University in college football. As of the 2024 season, the Bulldogs have been members of CAA Football, an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) league operated by, but legally separate from, the multi-sports Coastal Athletic Association. Bryant had played the 2023 season in the Big South–OVC Football Association formed in that season as a football-only alliance, also operating at the FCS level, between the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference. The team has played its home games at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, Rhode Island since its opening in 1999 as Bulldog Stadium. It received its current name in 2016.

History Bryant University football was created in 1999 joining the Division II level Northeast-10 Conference which they had been charter members of since the conference's inception in 1980.

Bryant has only had 4 coaches since its inception. The first Bulldog coach was Jim Miceli who coached the team from 1999 until 2003 followed by the second Bulldog coach Marty Fine, who coached the team from 2004- 2016. Before becoming the Bryant head coach, Fine was an assistant head coach at Iowa State University. In his third year as Bryant head coach, Fine led the Bulldogs to the playoffs. Fine resigned from his position on December 1, 2016. On January 3, 2017, Bryant University hired James Perry as the 3rd head coach of the Bulldog football program. Perry left Bryant to join his alma-mater Brown University on December 3, 2018. On December 21, 2018 Bryant University President Ronald K. Machtley and director of athletics Bill Smith officially announced Chris Merritt as the fourth head coach of the Bryant football program.

Bryant made the playoffs in its 8th season as a team, hosting the first-round game against West Chester University. The crowd was the largest recorded in Bryant's short history with 5,434 fans in attendance. The game came down to the final drive with Bryant in possession, but came up short after an interception, sealing the game and the win for West Chester University.

With the school’s success in multiple sports, Bryant began its transition to Division I. Bryant considered three conferences; The Northeast Conference, The Patriot League and The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. With the move to Division I, Bryant offered scholarships to its football players for the first time. After a long search, Bryant accepted an invite to the NEC and started competing in Division I in 2008–09. They became playoff-eligible and a full member of the NEC in 2012.

On March 29, 2022, Bryant announced it would leave the NEC to join the America East Conference, which does not sponsor football. On the same day, Bryant announced that its football team would join the Big South Conference, which had announced a month earlier that it would merge its football league with that of the Ohio Valley Conference after the 2022 season.

The beginning, the Miceli era Bryant Bulldogs football started in the fall of 1999. In their home opener against Assumption College, the team packed the stands with 4,817 fans. From 1999–2002, the team operated at around .500. 2003 was an all-time low and the end of the Miceli era. The team posted a 3–7 record, with two losing streaks of three. Coach Miceli resigned after the 2003 season.

Marty Fine era

Marty Fine took over the football team in the 2004 season when the school went from Bryant College to Bryant University. In his first season, he posted a .500 record. During the next two seasons under Marty Fine, the team posted 7–3 and 8–3 records (0–1 in playoffs).

Under Fine, the team brought in Division I transfers, including Lorenzo Perry from UMass Amherst. In around two years, Lorenzo Perry broke many rushing records at the university. Perry was also a Harlen Hill Award finalist, the Heisman Trophy for Division II. Perry also made NCAA All-American Team. During Fine’s four-year tenure, he became the all-time leader in wins for Bryant football.

Under coach Fine, the Bulldogs had three consecutive winning seasons before the move to Division I. The team also had its longest win streak at seven straight to start the season. In 2008, as a Division I team, the team began to give its first scholarships.

The James Perry era On January 3, 2017 Bryant University president Ronald K. Machtley and director of athletics Bill Smith announced the hiring of James Perry, a former quarterback, as the next head coach of the Bulldog football program. Perry led Princeton to Ivy League titles in 2013 and 2016, coaching three All-Ivy League quarterbacks over four seasons.

A 2000 graduate of Brown University, Perry spent three years at his alma mater as an offensive assistant before joining the Princeton staff in 2010. He coached the quarterbacks and served as recruiting coordinator for the Bears, helping them win an Ivy League crown in 2008. Michael Dougherty thrived under Perry, graduating eighth all-time in league history with 487 career completions and 11th all-time with 5,763 career passing yards while also setting a still-standing Ivy League record for total offense in a game (538 yards in 2008).

As a quarterback at Brown, Perry led the Bears to the 1999 Ivy League Championship, finishing the season with 3,255 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. He was named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award and was the recipient of both the Bulger Lowe Award as the Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year in New England and the New England Football Writers Gold Helmet of the Year. He was a three-time First Team All-Ivy League pick and earned the 1999 Ivy League Player of the Year.

In addition to his numerous accolades, Perry set many school and Ivy League passing records during his playing career. He graduated as the all-time leader in total offense in a career (9,236), passing yards in a career (9,294) and season (3,255), completions in a career (789) and season (309), and touchdown passes in a career (74) and game (6), still holding the Ivy League mark in the final three. Perry threw for over 400 yards in a game seven times in his career.

On December 3, 2018, it was announced that Perry had accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater Brown University. Perry served as the Bulldogs' head coach for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, posting back-to-back winning seasons and a 12-10 record overall.

The Chris Merritt era On December 21, 2018 Bryant University President Ronald K. Machtley and director of athletics Bill Smith officially announced Chris Merritt as the fourth head coach of the Bryant football program. Merritt spent the past 18 years as the head coach at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Florida. He posted an overall record 172-45 (.792), leading the Explorers to two state finals appearances (2014, 2018), five Regional Championships, 14 District Championships and an 80-4 record in district competition in the largest high school classification in the state of Florida. In addition, Merritt's program has produced over 100 collegiate football players in 18 seasons at the helm of Christopher Columbus.

All-time records

Coaches CoachYearsRecordWin %Jim Miceli1999–200326–15.634Marty Fine2004–201680–61.567James Perry2017-201812-10.545Chris Merritt2019–present23-26.469Totals1999–present141–112.557

Series OpponentRecordLast winStreakAlbany 2–2 2011Lost 1American International 3–62011Won 2Assumption10–02013Won 10Becker1–02006Won 1Bentley4–52007Won 3Brown0–1 ----Lost 1Bucknell1–1 2014Won 1Central Connecticut3–4 2014Won 3Duquesne4–32014Won 2Fordham1–12010Won 1Gannon1–02003Won 1Hofstra0–1 ----Lost 1Holy Cross1–1 2015Lost 1Iona1–02008Won 1Liberty0–1 ----Lost 1LIU1–42007Won 1Maine1–3 2014Won 1Marist0–2 ----Lost 2Merrimack6–62014Won 5Monmouth1–5 2012Lost 1Mount Ida1–02001Won 1Pace8–02007Won 8Rhode Island0–1 ----Lost 1Robert Morris6–1 2014Won 1Sacred Heart3–3 2012Lost 1Saint Anselm7–32010Won 5Saint Francis (PA)5–12014Won 1Southern Connecticut4–62009Won 2Stonehill8–12011Won 8Stony Brook1–3 2018Lost 1UMass0–1 ----Lost 1UMass Lowell2–02002Won 2Wagner 4–2 2013Won 1West Chester0–1 ----Lost 1

Year-by-year performance Coach Season Record Home Away Win % Average (Total) Home AttendanceJim Miceli19993–22–01–2.600 2,940 (5,880)Jim Miceli20006–34–12–2.6662,181 (10,905)Jim Miceli20017–24–13–1.7773,221 (16,105)Jim Miceli20026–33–13–2.6662,912 (11,648)Jim Miceli20034–53–11–4 .4442,706 (10,824)Marty Fine20045–52–32–2.5003,305 (16,525)Marty Fine20057–35–02–3.7003,999 (19,995)Marty Fine20068–35–23–1.750 4,226 (29,582)Marty Fine20078–34–04–3.7504,686 (18,744)Marty Fine20087–44–13–3.6375,302 (26,510)Marty Fine20095–63–22–4.4754,617 (23,805)Marty Fine20107–46–11–3.6374,391 (30,742)Marty Fine20117–44–23–2.6365,929 (35,572)Marty Fine20124–72–42–3.3643,288 (19,723)Marty Fine20134–73–42–3.3643,581 (25,064)Marty Fine20148–35–13–2.727N/AMarty Fine20155–63–12–5.455N/AMarty Fine20165–64–11–5.455N/AJames Perry20176–54–12–4.545N/AJames Perry20186–53–23–3.545N/ATotals1999–2017112–8170-2742–54.5823,846 (315,412)

Playoff appearances NCAA Division II playoffs The Bulldogs made two appearances in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0-2.

2006 First Round West Chester L, 29–31 2007 First Round Southern Connecticut L, 28–45

Future non-conference opponents Announced schedules as of September 22, 2026.

at Stonehill at Western Michigan at UMass at Army Brown Princeton at Brown

References

External links