Ray Portu enters his second season on the Cadet sidelines as the Defensive Backs Coach and Defensive Pass Game Coordinator after joining the coaching staff in April 2022. In his first season, the Cadets led the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in passing defense. Norwich only allowed 154.6 passing yards per game which ranked 29th in NCAA Division III that year.Â
Prior to his current appointment, Portu was the Defensive Coordinator and Strength and Conditioning coach at Manchester Memorial High School (NH) which was coached by former Norwich starting offensive lineman Rob Sturgis '12. The pair helped to turn around the Manchester Memorial team which had previously lost over 30 consecutive games and made the first playoff appearance (2020) in 20 years. Portu began his coaching career as the Defensive Backs Coach at Exeter High School (NH) where he worked for another Norwich alum, Bill Ball '78.
Portu graduated from Saint Anselm College as a double major in Politics and Communication. He currently lives in Northfield, Vt.Â