.png&width=24&type=webp)
Football
- Title:
- Senior Associate Head Coach & Defensive Coordinator
- E-Mail:
- verbit@princeton.edu
| QUICK FACTS ON STEVE VERBIT |
| • coordinated defense on 2018 Ivy title team that went 10-0 and limited 8 of 10 teams to 14 points or less |
| • coached NFL Draft selections Mike Catapano '13 and Caraun Reid '14 |
| • coached the Ivy Defensive Player of the Year or finalist in five of last 10 seasons. |
| • on coaching staff for eight of Princeton's 13 Ivy League championship teams |
| • longest-tenured coach on staff, will enter his 40th season in 2025 |
| • moved from defensive coordinator to associate head coach in 2010; resumed coordinator duties in 2017 |
| • played, coached at Delaware; on staff when Delaware won 1979 national title |
| • father of Matt Verbit '05, one of Princeton's all-time passing leaders |
PRINCETON RECRUITING AREAS — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada
Steve Verbit will enter his 40th season of coaching at Princeton in 2025.Verbit coached four All-Ivy selections in 2024 in Marco Scarano, Nasir Hill, Jack DelGarbino and Chase Christopher. Scarano was one of the most disruptive defensive players in the league; he ranked third in tackles (8.4 per game) and second in tackles for loss (1.1) in Ivy League games.
The Tigers’ defense remained one of the best in the FCS in 2023, finishing in the top 20 in rushing defense (third, 93.8 yards), scoring defense (sixth, 17.5 points per game), team passing efficiency defense (sixth, 111.45), fewest first downs allowed (seventh, 174), red zone defense (eighth, 70.8 percent), total defense (eighth, 302.1) and fumbles recovered (17th, 10). Princeton’s defense had five All-Ivy selections in Ozzie Nicholas, Liam Johnson, Nasir Hill, Jack DelGarbino and Will Perez.
On his way to being the only unanimous First-Team All-Ivy selection, Nicholas recorded 104 tackles matching the most by any Tiger football player since Zak Keasey recorded 127 stops in 2004. Nicholas went onto earn Pro Football Focus All-America and Stats Perform FCS All-America Third Team status.
Princeton went 8-2 and was in contention for the Ivy League title into the final week of the 2022 regular season. The Tigers had 16 All-Ivy selections tied for second-most at Princeton since 2013 while Liam Johnson was named the Bushnell Cup winner for Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
The Tigers' defense finished No. 1 in the country in scoring (13.5), third in rushing defense (90.7), fourth in total defense (299.7) and interceptions (16), 11th in passing efficiency defense (115.37) and 15th in fewest first downs allowed (189).
The 2021 season saw Princeton go 9-1 and earn an Ivy League title, its third in five seasons. The Tigers had 16 All-Ivy selections including six on defense. Princeton's defense was one of the best in the FCS as it allowed the second fewest first downs (149), was third in rushing defense (73.2), eighth in team sacks per game (3.3) and ninth in total defense (274.1).
For the first time since 1964, Princeton posted a perfect season in 2018, and eight members of his defense earned All-Ivy honors.
The 2018 team ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense, 7th in rushing and 11th in total defense. The Tigers held seven of 10 opponents to 10 points or fewer, including a Top-20 rival in Dartmouth during the biggest game of the season; Princeton kept the Big Green offense from scoring for more than 50 minutes in a 14-9 comeback victory.
Verbit helped lead one of the best defenses in recent Ivy League history, the 2016 unit that led the Ivy League in scoring (16.4), total (317.6), and rushing (80.1) defense. Princeton, selected fifth in the preseason media poll, won the Ivy League title and shut out co-champion Penn 28-0. Lineman Kurt Holuba was a finalist for Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors and an All-America honoree.
While Verbit has been part of several remarkable teams, he has had some of his most remarkable individual successes in recent years. Two of his graduates, Mike Catapano '13 and Caraun Reid '14, were both selected in the NFL Draft, and Reid served as co-captain of the memorable 2013 Ivy League championship team; he would also become only the second Princeton player ever invited to the Senior Bowl.
Catapano, who helped create the recent turnaround of Princeton football during his senior season, earned the first Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year award in program history. He shared All-America honors with Reid, who became Princeton's first back-to-back First-Team All-America honoree in more than two decades and was selected in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions. Reid is the highest draft pick for Princeton in the modern draft era.
Verbit is one of the most well-respected Princeton coaches over the last three decades and shares close ties with alumni across the nation. He has also helped develop some of Princeton's best defensive players, both as a line coach and during his extended period as defensive coordinator.
Prior to coming to Princeton, Verbit coached at Delaware for six seasons. He helped guide the Blue Hens to the Division II national championship in 1979. Verbit is a Delaware graduate, having received his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1977 and his master’s degree in exercise physiology in 1980.
A native of Pottstown, Pa., Verbit coached the offensive and defensive backs at Pottstown High School in 1977. In 1978 he taught health education at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, Del., while serving as an assistant football coach and head track coach. After joining the Delaware staff, he spent two seasons as defensive coordinator for the freshman football team before taking over the defensive secondary of the varsity. Verbit also is the director of the Tiger Football Camps in the Princeton area.
He and his wife Vicki are parents of a son Matt and a daughter Kristin. Matt graduated in 2005 as the No. 2 passer all-time at Princeton while Kristin graduated from Villanova and played on its women’s soccer team.
