TAMPA, Fla. – Danny Verpaele strolled around a campus that he was once very familiar with. It was Christmas break, a Sunday evening and a few days after the former USF defensive back was hired to coach safeties on Brian Hartline’s staff. He pulled on a few door handles in an attempt to sample a campus that has undergone much change since his final days on the gridiron under Jim Leavitt.
“It was kind of surreal,” he said. “I was like almost in tears. Wow. It’s been 18 years and (the campus has) grown so much. It was really cool.”
Though many doors were locked, Verpaele is grateful for the one that opened at his alma mater.
“It’s hard to believe and hard to grasp,” he said. “It’s been awesome.”
Verpaele has reconnected with some folks who remain at the university since he recorded 110 tackles in 31 games (2004-08) before commencing a coaching career as a grad assistant at VMI. He also got up to speed on the figurative and literal landscape of the football program, including a new stadium rising above the practice fields as well as a football operations center that will be part of the venue.
“Every morning, I try to come out here, take a walk and have like a little gratitude and see everything,” he said. “They’re working nonstop. It’s like someone is on a mission.”
Someone is.
“I didn’t even know all that was being built,” he continued. “When Rob (Higgins) had a meeting and explained all of that, I was dumbfounded. I was like, ‘Wait, that’s where our office is going to be?’ It’s pretty cool to watch it go up fast. It’s a really exciting time for USF.”
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Reunited with childhood buddy
James Rowe (corners) and Chad Creamer (special teams coordinator/OLBs) are the only assistants from Alex Golesh’s staff who remain with the Bulls. Rowe and Verpaele grew up about 20 miles apart on Florida’s east coast, played against each other in multiple sports, had overlapping athletic careers at USF and have now been together as assistants with three programs.
“He was a pitcher, I was a pitcher, he was a quarterback and I was a quarterback,” said Verpaele, who is from Merritt Island and Rowe hails from Cocoa. “He was a really good athlete, and in high school we played together on some AAU teams.”
Verpaele and Rowe had orientation together at USF where they were roommates and strengthened their friendship. They also played different sports. While Verpaele contributed on a couple of memorable football teams, including the 2007 squad that catapulted to No. 2 in the BCS ranking, Rowe pitched for Eddie Cardieri and Lelo Prado. He returned to the university in 2023 to be part of Golesh’s staff.
“It’s a unique situation to work with someone you grew up with and your college roommate,” said Verpaele, an assistant with Rowe under former USF offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell at Valdosta State in 2016 and Jacksonville University in 2012. (Bell was Charlie Strong’s OC with the Bulls in 2019.)
Rowe was also a defensive back in high school. As such, there were a couple of moments he can conveniently recall when in Verpaele’s company.
“My senior year, I picked him off twice,” he laughed.
A neat fact is Rowe and his brother are assistants at their respective alma maters. David Rowe is the safeties coach on Greg Schiano’s staff at Rutgers. He played 51 games in four seasons (2008-11) for the Scarlet Knights during Schiano’s initial stint in Piscataway, and recorded 14 tackles in four games against the Bulls.
Now, Rowe and Verpaele represent USF in more ways than one on Hartline’s staff.
“He said to Danny and I, “Hey, we owe it to you guys, alumni, to make sure we run this thing the right way,” said Rowe, recalling the first staff meeting with Hartline. “He coached at his alma mater, so he knows that feeling as well.”
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