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The longest-tenured member of the Princeton football coaching staff, Steve Verbit is in his 28th season at Princeton and has been a member of the defensive coaching staff throughout his tenure. He currently serves as associate head coach to Bob Surace '90, and he will continue to coach the defensive line.

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. Over a seven-year stretch during the last decade, 10 different players combined to earn 15 first-team All-Ivy League honors, and defensive back Jay McCareins earned All-America accolades.

Last season, he coached one of the most impressive lineman duos in the league. Caraun Reid earned first-team All-Ivy League honors after ranking second in the league in tackles for loss (16) and third in the league in sacks (eight), while Mike Catapano earned second-team honors after placing in the top 10 in the Ivies in both sacks and tackles for loss.

Verbit helped develop a dominant defense during the 2006 championship season, despite significant losses in both the linebacking and secondary positions. Princeton ranked second in the Ivy League in rushing, passing and scoring defense and put four players on the All-Ivy team, including lineman Jake Marshall. It also finished first in the Ivy League in both first downs allowed and third-down conversions. Teams converted less than 28% of their third-down opportunities against the Tigers.

Before the 2004 season, Verbit helped engineer a change to a 3-4 defense to better utilize the depth of linebackers on the roster.

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.