Mark DeBastiani is entering his 10th season as the defensive coordinator at Norfolk State University. After previously coaching the linebackers, DeBastiani will work with the safeties beginning this season. DeBastiani, who came with head coach Pete Adrian to NSU from Bethune-Cookman in early 2005, has helped transform the NSU program from a last-place team to a championship-winning program.
In the last nine years, the NSU defense has evolved from one of the more porous in the MEAC to one of the stronger units not only in the conference, but in the nation. The Spartan defense has ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense four of the last five years, culminating in the No. 2 ranking among all FCS teams during the team’s MEAC championship run in 2011 and a No. 3 ranking in 2012.
Despite having its streak of four straight top-10 total defense rankings broken last year, the Spartan defense enjoyed another excellent season. Last year’s unit ranked 13th in the FCS in fewest yards allowed (321.8) and posted top-10 national marks in interceptions (19, tied for fifth), turnovers gained (33, tied for fifth) and passing yards allowed (159.0, sixth).
Four NSU players earned All-MEAC honors last season, including first-team picks Lynden Trail (OLB) and Darrin Marrow (CB), second-team pick Deon King (OLB/DE) and third-team selection George Riddick (DL). Trail went on to earn FCS first-team All-America honors and finished as a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the top defensive player nationally among FCS schools. King and Trail combined for 18 sacks, with both ranking among the MEAC’s top five in sacks and King ranking in the top 20 nationally in both sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (18.5).
In 2012, the Spartans allowed just 278.1 yards per game, which was the second-best in the MEAC and trailed only national champion North Dakota State and North Carolina A&T in the national FCS rankings. NSU also ranked fifth in the nation in tackles for loss (8.4 per game) and sixth in sacks (3.1 per game) in ‘12, while finishing among the top 30 teams nationally with 24 turnovers forced. The Spartans also notched a pair of shutouts last year in victories over Virginia State and Morgan State, marking the first time in 11 seasons that an NSU defense had shut out two opponents in the same season.
Trail was one reason for that success, earning first-team All-MEAC honors and honorable mention All-America accolades. Trail and fellow outside linebacker Terrence Pugh tied for third in the MEAC with six sacks each in 2012.
The 2011 unit allowed just 275.8 yards per game and yielded a MEAC-low 17.1 points per game, good for fourth-best in the country. Eight of NSU’s 12 opponents scored 14 points or less and four were held to single-digit tallies. The Spartans also tallied a MEAC-high 36 sacks in 2011, ninth-most in the nation and the most by an NSU defense under the current staff. Twenty-two of those sacks came from NSU’s outside linebackers.
The last three seasons have continued a recent trend of stingy defenses for NSU, which ranked sixth in the nation in total defense in both 2009 and 2010. The 2010 unit yielded just 284.1 yards per game, while the 2009 team allowed only 265.5 yards per game.
The growth has been gradual. In 2006, NSU ranked fifth in the nation in tackles for losses and 19th in sacks per game. In 2007, the Spartans ranked fifth in pass defense and 19th in total defense.
In 2008, the Spartans finished eighth in the nation in turnover margin (+14), and sixth in turnovers forced (34).
DeBastiani has won a conference championship at each of his coaching stops. He was the defensive line coach and video coordinator at Bethune-Cookman University for eight seasons prior to coming to NSU. There, DeBastiani worked alongside Adrian, then the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator, in turning the Bethune-Cookman defense into a force.
The Wildcats’ 3-4 ball-hawking defense was a key to the team’s ascent to the top of the MEAC. The Wildcats ranked 13th and eighth, respectively, in Division I-AA total defense in their two national playoff seasons, 2002 and 2003. B-CU ranked second in the conference in 2004 in scoring defense and total defense. He also helped tutor one All-American, defensive lineman Damion Cook, from 1997-2000.
Prior to joining the B-CU staff, DeBastiani coached the defensive tackles at Appalachian State University from 1995-96. In 1995, Appalachian State went undefeated in the regular season, won the Southern Conference championship, and advanced to the Division I-AA quarterfinals.
DeBastiani also coached the offensive and defensive lines at his alma mater, Division II Shepherd (W.Va.) College, in 1993 and 1994, helping the Rams to the 1994 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.
DeBastiani earned his bachelor’s degree in health from Shepherd in 1993. He lettered three years for the Shepherd football team and started two years at center. During his career there, he was a member of back-to-back WVIAC championship teams (1991-92). The 1991 team advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals and the 1992 team made it to the NAIA semifinals.
A native of Arthurdale, W.Va., DeBastiani was a football and basketball letterwinner in high school. He and his wife Christine have two children, Benjamin and Maria. The family resides in Chesapeake.
