Steve Devlin enters his seventh season (eight overall) as the Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs coach for the Bears along with the title of Associate Head Coach.
In 2023, the Ursinus defense finished ranked #1 in the Centennial Conference in Total Defense. The defense was the only team in the league to hold opponents to under 300 yards a game in total offense. The Bears also finished the year ranked #1 in Passing Yards Allowed, Team Sacks, and 1st & 3rd Down Defense. The defense also ranked in the top of many NCAA defensive categories including 8th in the NCAA in 3rd Down Defense and 13th in Team Sacks. Leading the way was 1st Team All American and Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year – Ryan Bodolus. Bodolus recorded 66 tackles, 20.5 TFL’s, and 12 sacks in 2023. Bodolus became the All-Time Sack Leader in Ursinus football history with 33 career sacks to go along with 53 TFL’s in his career under Devlin’s guidance. He also is the All Time Leader in sacks in the Centennial Conference. The defense had 4 First Team All-Conference selections in 2023 – Ryan Bodolus, Brett Gross, Ryan DiVergilis, and Anthony Esposito. Connor Carter was also an Honorable Mention selection. Devlin was also responsible for half of the Bear’s Special Teams units in which they were ranked #1 in the conference in Kickoff coverage. The Bears finished the season winning their third Centennial/MAC Bowl Championship.
In 2022, the Ursinus defense gave up 17.4 points per game and maintained an 80% Stop Rate for the season helping the team win their 2nd Centennial/MAC Bowl Championship. The season saw the Bears finish #1 in the NCAA in fumbles recovered and #9 in the NCAA in Turnovers gained (28). They also finished #1 in the Centennial Conference in Red Zone Defense and #2 in the Conference in Sacks and Tackles for a Loss. Leading the way were Ethan Belville who was #1 in the NCAA in Forced Fumbles (6) and Jack Ginley #1 in NCAA in Fumbles Recovered (4). Belville also finished #6 in the NCAA in Tackles for a Loss (23). Brett Gross led the team with 101 Tackles during the year while Ryan Bodolus was 2nd in the Conference with 10.5 sacks. The Ursinus defense placed 4 members on the 1st Team All Centennial Conference team – Ethan Belville, Ryan Bodolus, Brett Gross, and Ryan DiVergilis. This is the most 1st team defensive selections in school history. Sophomore defensive back Anthony Esposito, who led the team in interceptions (3), also earned Honorable Mention honors.
After missing the 2020 season due to Covid, the 2021 Ursinus defense was back at it. The defense finished in the top of the NCAA in Turnovers Gained (23) and Fumbles Recovered. Ethan Belville (6) and Jack Ginley (3) finished in the top 3 of the NCAA in Forced Fumbles and Fumbles Recovered, respectively. Brett Gross led the team in Tackles with 94 for the season and Ryan Bodolus broke a school record with 6 sacks in a game vs Dickinson. Freshman DB Aaron Anderson led the team with 3 interceptions while Sophomore DB Ryan DiVergilis was selected with Gross, Belville, and Bodolus as All Conference selections.
In his second season as DC the Ursinus defense matched the single game program record for sacks in a game with 9 vs Bethany College and scored three defensive touchdowns vs Gettysburg. Jake McCain led the team with 61 Tackles while Marcus Weathers led the team with 8.5 Sacks and 18 Tackles for a Loss. Senior DB Mitch Bradford joined Weathers as All Conference selections.
In his first season at the helm, the Bears finished ranked #19 in Division III in 3rd down defense (28%) and were ranked #1 in the Centennial Conference in passing defense at just 175 yards per game. The Bears posted one shutout and rolled to a 70-14 victory at Misericordia in their Centennial/MAC Bowl Series debut. The defense was led by junior corner Mitchell Bradford, who topped the Centennial Conference in interceptions, and junior linebacker Jake McCain, who finished second in total tackles. Senior defensive tackle Charles Anderson was also selected to the All-Conference team.
Devlin came to Collegeville after spending over a decade as the Head Coach at local power Archbishop Wood HS. With a sterling resume in tow, having led the Vikings to five PIAA Class 5A championships – all of them in the seven years before his departure. Devlin compiled an overall record of 132-22-1 in his 11 years at Wood, which included the last ten Philadelphia Catholic League crowns and a slew of national rankings. He was named PCL Coach of the Year six times in addition to earning Pennsylvania Coach of the Year laurels from The Associated Press in 2013 and from USA Today in 2014. Devlin was selected to coach the Under Armour All-America Game in 2012, 2015, and 2018 and served as offensive coordinator as Pennsylvania topped Maryland in this year’s Big 33 All-Star Game.
During Devlin’s tenure at Wood, the Vikings averaged 36.8 points per game while allowing just 12.7 points per game.
“Steve has been one of the most successful coaches in the country and I am excited to bring him on staff at Ursinus,” said Ursinus head coach Pete Gallagher. “His extraordinary run at Archbishop Wood and his ties to Greater Philadelphia make him the perfect candidate to run our defense and recruit area high-school athletes to one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges.”
Devlin developed a steady pipeline of high-level talent, sending more than 100 players on to the collegiate ranks. His athletes have gone on to play at a number of traditional FCS powers, including Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Penn State, among others.
Before taking over at Wood, Devlin served as associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Saint Joseph’s Prep. While there, he helped to guide the Hawks to four Catholic League titles from 2001 to 2007, which included a 65-11 record and a number three national ranking in 2003. Under Devlin’s watch, the Saint Joseph’s Prep offense averaged 352.1 yards and 33.8 points per game, leading the PCL in total offense five times.
Combining his time at Saint Joseph’s Prep and Archbishop Wood, Devlin coached in the PCL championship game every year from 2001 to 2017.
A graduate of Archbishop Ryan High School, where he was a 2-time All Catholic selection, Devlin was a member of the Lycoming College team that reached the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl – the Division III National Championship game – in 1990. He resides in Somerton with his wife Sue.
Devlin is responsible for recruiting the greater Philadelphia area and Delaware.
