Steve Devlin, who spent over a decade at the helm of local high school powerhouse Archbishop Wood, was hired as defensive coordinator prior to the 2018 season.

In his first season at the helm, the Bears finished ranked #19 in Division III in 3^rd 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 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. Powered by a host of Division I recruits, Wood routed Gateway, 49-14, in the fall of 2017 for its second consecutive state title; the Vikings reached the PIAA title game six of Devlin's last seven seasons.

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.

In addition to his defensive coordinator duties, Devlin will also be responsible for recruiting the greater Philadelphia area.

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, Devlin was a member of the Lycoming College team that reached the Stagg Bowl – the Division III championship game – in 1990. He resides in Somerton with his wife, Sue, and children Joe, Mike, and Megan.