PISCATAWAY, NJ – Craig Ver Steeg has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Rutgers football team, it was announced today by head coach Greg Schiano.

Ver Steeg (pronounced ver steg) comes to Rutgers with a successful background as an offensive coach at four Division I institutions, as well as with the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Most recently, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for past two seasons at the University of Utah.

In his first season at Utah in 2001, Ver Steeg’s offensive system helped the Utes improve 50-plus places nationally in most offensive categories. The 2001 Utes finished 24th in total offense, including 12th in rushing offense and 40th in scoring.

Prior to his stint at Utah, Ver Steeg was quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Illinois for four seasons (1997-00). Ver Steeg also served as quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Cincinnati (1990-93), and passing game coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Harvard (1994-95).

Schiano and Ver Steeg were both members of the NFL’s Chicago Bears coaching staff in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Ver Steeg has worked with quarterbacks since 1984, when he was a graduate assistant at Southern California. He held the same post at Utah in 1986-87 and 1989, and served as Utah’s recruiting coordinator in 1988.

Ver Steeg’s first full-time coaching position was at Cincinnati in 1990, where he coached the Bearcats’ wide receivers for two seasons, followed by two years as quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. In 1993, Cincinnati notched an 8-3 record, was ranked No. 27 in the nation, and was the Independent Football Alliance champion.

Among his pupils through the years, Ver Steeg has worked with record-setting Utah quarterback Scott Mitchell, who went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL. At Illinois, Ver Steeg worked with Kurt Kittner, who as a sophomore broke Jeff George’s single-season record for TD passes with 24. Kittner was Illinois’ MVP in 1999, and was also MVP of the Micronpc.com Bowl that year. Kittner recently completed his first season with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

The 42-year-old Ver Steeg graduated from Southern California in 1983 and received his master’s degree from Southern California in 1986. He and his wife, the former Lisa Kingsbury, have been married six years.