Gabe Infante is the Baxter Family Assistant Head Coach, special teams coordinator, and defensive line coach for Duke football in Durham, North Carolina. He joined the Blue Devils in January 2024 after working with Manny Diaz at Penn State and brought more than 26 years of coaching experience, including 11 seasons as a high school head coach. His résumé spans college and high school football, with a ranked Power Four bowl win, four Pennsylvania state championships, and nearly 50 collegiate victories over the previous seven years. At Duke, Infante first worked with the defensive tackles before taking over the full defensive line, and his impact has been felt on both defense and special teams. In 2025, defensive tackle Aaron Hall earned Third Team All-ACC honors, served as a team captain, and capped the season by making five tackles in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on the way to the Jimmy Rogers Jr. Most Valuable Lineman award. Duke’s defensive front helped the Blue Devils finish 11th nationally in fumbles recovered with 10, 13th in turnover margin at plus-0.71, 14th in turnovers gained with 24, and 16th in tackles for loss per game at 6.6. Infante’s special teams units were equally influential during Duke’s ACC championship run. The Blue Devils ranked third nationally in kickoff return average at 29.6, 12th in punt return defense at 3.8, 16th in net punting at 42.0, and 25th in blocked kicks with two. Sahmir Hagans earned Second Team All-ACC recognition as a return specialist after a 100-yard return touchdown at Clemson and an 80-yard return against Wake Forest. Duke also used successful fake kicks in key moments late in the year, including Todd Pelino’s 26-yard run against North Carolina, Kade Reynoldson’s 26-yard fake punt run versus Wake Forest, and Kevin O’Connor’s direct-snap first-down run in the ACC Championship Game against Virginia. In Infante’s first season in Durham, Duke finished second nationally in tackles for loss per game at 8.9 and fourth in sacks per game at 3.3. He coached Kendy Charles to Second Team All-ACC honors after 50 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks, while Hall added honorable mention all-league recognition with 41 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. On special teams, Duke ranked 11th nationally in blocked kicks with three, 18th in punt return defense at 4.5, and 20th in kickoff return average at 24.2. Reynoldson earned 247Sports True Freshman All-America honors after setting Duke freshman records for punting yards with 3,285 and tying the rookie record with 75 punts. Redshirt freshman Que'Sean Brown also received honorable mention All-ACC recognition as a punt returner. Before Duke, Infante spent two seasons at Penn State as a defensive analyst and analytics coordinator. During that stretch, the Nittany Lions went 21-5 and capped the 2022 season with a Rose Bowl win over No. 8 Utah. Penn State’s defense ranked among the national leaders in third-down defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, sacks, tackles for loss, turnovers gained, and total defense, and in 2023 it led the nation in first downs allowed, rushing yards allowed per game, sacks per game, and tackles for loss per game. Prior to Penn State, Infante spent three seasons at Temple as recruiting coordinator and running backs coach. There he helped develop Re'Mahn Davis, who rushed for 936 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019, became the team's leading rusher, ranked second in school history among freshmen in every rushing category, and earned Freshman All-America honors. Much of Infante’s reputation was built during 22 years in high school football across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. As a head coach, he posted a 104-31 record over 11 seasons and earned 2018 National High School Coaches Association and Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year honors, along with 2017 U.S. Army Bowl National Coach of the Year recognition and multiple regional and league awards. From 2010 to 2018, he led St.
Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia and compiled a 93-21 record. His teams won two 6A Pennsylvania state championships in 2016 and 2018, two 4A state titles in 2013 and 2014, and five District 12 City and Philadelphia Catholic League championships. Over his final three seasons there, the Hawks went 40-1 with two state titles. St. Joseph’s Prep also finished No. 1 in Pennsylvania in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018. Infante coached numerous future NFL players at St. Joseph’s Prep, including John Reid, Jon Runyan Jr., D’Andre Swift, and Olamide Zaccheaus. He also coached Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord, who played key roles in the 2018 state championship win over Harrisburg. Harrison later became the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while McCord was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 draft. Before St. Joseph’s Prep, Infante was the head coach at Paramus Catholic in New Jersey from 2008 to 2009 and also worked at Bergen Catholic, Queen of Peace, and Memorial High School, mostly in defensive coordinator and assistant head coach roles. His broader football work includes service on USA Football’s Advisory Committee and as a master trainer in the Heads Up program, where he traveled nationally to conduct player safety clinics. He also worked clinics for Nike, Glazier, and Hammer Strength, published work with American Football Monthly, and coached in multiple national high school postseason events. That included serving as head coach of the 2017 U-17 national team and coaching in the U.S. National Team International Bowl, the U.S. National Team World Championships, and the U.S. Army All-American Game. Infante also brings a strong playing and academic background. He was a four-year member and three-year letterwinner at safety for Holy Cross, helping the Crusaders win 23 games and claim the 1991 Patriot League title. Over his college career, he totaled 87 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, one caused fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He also received the 1994 Connor Award, which honors the senior teammate most respected by the varsity squad. A native of West New York, New Jersey, Infante graduated from Holy Cross in 1995 with a degree in political science and later earned a juris doctor from New York Law School in 1999. He is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and practiced law for six years before moving fully into coaching. He and his wife, Tamara, are the parents of four children: Karysa, Gabriella, Gabriel, and Sofia.
