Fisher DeBerry
Encyclopedia
Fisher DeBerry is a former American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy
from 1984 to 2006, compiling a record of 169–109–1. DeBerry led 17 of his 23 Air Force Falcons
squads to winning records and 12 captured a bowl game
bid. Three times his teams won the Western Athletic Conference
title, in 1985, 1995, and 1998. DeBerry retired on December 15, 2006 with the most wins and highest winning percentage (.608) in Air Force football history.
in 1938. In high school, DeBerry was a four-sport varsity letter
winner, lettering five times in baseball
, three times each in football
and basketball
and twice in track
. He was also an all-state selection in baseball and football. DeBerry graduated in 1960 from Wofford College
in Spartanburg, South Carolina
, where he lettered in football
and baseball
. He was also active in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity while in college.
After six years of coaching and teaching in the South Carolina
high school
ranks, DeBerry returned to Wofford
, where he coached for two years as an assistant when Wofford won 21 consecutive games and was ranked first in the NAIA
. For the next nine years, 1971 to 1979, DeBerry was an assistant coach at Appalachian State University
. While DeBerry was there, Appalachian State was ranked in the top 10 nationally in either rushing, total offense or scoring offense three times. In 1974, the team ranked sixth nationally in pass defense when he was defensive coordinator.
hired DeBerry in 1980 as the Air Force Academy quarterback
s coach. The next year, DeBerry was promoted to offensive coordinator. By 1982, Air Force posted an 8-5 record and beat Vanderbilt
in the Hall of Fame Bowl while averaging 30.4 points per game. After the 1983 season, Hatfield left Air Force for Arkansas
after the Falcons' 10-2 season and Independence Bowl
victory. DeBerry was promoted to head coach.
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During DeBerry's tenure as head coach, Air Force won at least eight games 11 different seasons. DeBerry's first team, in 1984, was 8–4 and beat Virginia Tech
in the 1984 Independence Bowl
. The next year, the Falcons won 12 games, and were ranked as high as #4 nationally until a 28–21 loss at BYU
. In the final Associated Press
poll, the Falcons ranked eighth. DeBerry has coached the Falcons to three conference championships, winning the Western Athletic Conference
championship in 1985, 1995, and 1998. The 1998 team's 12–1 record completed the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in school history, and finished the season ranked 10th nationally.
DeBerry's Falcons have dominated the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series with arch rivals Army
and Navy
. Air Force has won the trophy 14 times and shared it once in DeBerry's 21 seasons. He is a combined 34–8 against the Black Knights and Midshipmen and is the winningest coach in service academy history. Since the Commander-in-Chief's series began in 1972, Air Force has gone to 16 bowl games, compared to a combined 13 for Army and Navy. DeBerry has led the Academy to 12 of those bowl games and has a 6–6 record.
Although DeBerry has been portrayed a role-model for most of his career, he came under fire for controversial racial remarks made he made in October 2005 after a 48–10 loss to Texas Christian University
(TCU). DeBerry said TCU "had a lot more Afro-American
players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did. Afro-American kids can run very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian
kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me that they run extremely well." Earlier that year, DeBerry had been criticized for a banner posted in the team's locker room that was interpreted by some as inappropriate religious proselytizing.
On December 15, 2006, DeBerry announced his retirement. He now splits his retirement time between South Carolina and Oklahoma, where he owns homes.
Coach of the Year three times in his career, and in 1985, won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award as NCAA
college football's coach of the year. DeBerry has also been awarded the State Farm Coach of Distinction award in 2001, and has been inducted into the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. DeBerry received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Wofford during its graduation ceremony in 2003.
In 1996, DeBerry served as president of the American Football Coaches Association
, and is currently the chairman of the AFCA ethics committee. He was honored by the Independence Bowl
as a member of its Hall of Fame. In 2005, DeBerry was honored with induction into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
. DeBerry has strong ties to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
and was inducted into the organizations’s Hall of Champions in 2005. He and LuAnn have assisted fund-raising efforts for Easter Seals
, the March of Dimes
, the Salvation Army
and the American Heart Association
. DeBerry's son, Joe, played in the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers baseball organizations. He currently resides in Grove, Oklahoma.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
from 1984 to 2006, compiling a record of 169–109–1. DeBerry led 17 of his 23 Air Force Falcons
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
squads to winning records and 12 captured a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
bid. Three times his teams won the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
title, in 1985, 1995, and 1998. DeBerry retired on December 15, 2006 with the most wins and highest winning percentage (.608) in Air Force football history.
Background
DeBerry was born in Cheraw, South CarolinaCheraw, South Carolina
Cheraw is a town on the Pee Dee River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,524 at the 2000 census and center of an urban cluster with a total population of 9,069. It has been nicknamed "The Prettiest Town in Dixie." The harbor tub USS Cheraw was named in the...
in 1938. In high school, DeBerry was a four-sport varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
winner, lettering five times in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, three times each in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and twice in track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He was also an all-state selection in baseball and football. DeBerry graduated in 1960 from Wofford College
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
, where he lettered in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He was also active in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity while in college.
After six years of coaching and teaching in the South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
ranks, DeBerry returned to Wofford
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
, where he coached for two years as an assistant when Wofford won 21 consecutive games and was ranked first in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. For the next nine years, 1971 to 1979, DeBerry was an assistant coach at Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
. While DeBerry was there, Appalachian State was ranked in the top 10 nationally in either rushing, total offense or scoring offense three times. In 1974, the team ranked sixth nationally in pass defense when he was defensive coordinator.
Air Force football
Ken HatfieldKen Hatfield
Ken Hatfield is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy , the University of Arkansas , Clemson University , and Rice University , compiling a career college football record of 168–140–4.-Playing...
hired DeBerry in 1980 as the Air Force Academy quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s coach. The next year, DeBerry was promoted to offensive coordinator. By 1982, Air Force posted an 8-5 record and beat Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in the Hall of Fame Bowl while averaging 30.4 points per game. After the 1983 season, Hatfield left Air Force for Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
after the Falcons' 10-2 season and Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
victory. DeBerry was promoted to head coach.
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
in the 1984 Independence Bowl
1984 Independence Bowl
The 1984 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Air Force Falcons at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 15, 1984. The game was the final contest of the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season for both...
. The next year, the Falcons won 12 games, and were ranked as high as #4 nationally until a 28–21 loss at BYU
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. In the final Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll, the Falcons ranked eighth. DeBerry has coached the Falcons to three conference championships, winning the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
championship in 1985, 1995, and 1998. The 1998 team's 12–1 record completed the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in school history, and finished the season ranked 10th nationally.
DeBerry's Falcons have dominated the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series with arch rivals Army
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. Air Force has won the trophy 14 times and shared it once in DeBerry's 21 seasons. He is a combined 34–8 against the Black Knights and Midshipmen and is the winningest coach in service academy history. Since the Commander-in-Chief's series began in 1972, Air Force has gone to 16 bowl games, compared to a combined 13 for Army and Navy. DeBerry has led the Academy to 12 of those bowl games and has a 6–6 record.
Although DeBerry has been portrayed a role-model for most of his career, he came under fire for controversial racial remarks made he made in October 2005 after a 48–10 loss to Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
(TCU). DeBerry said TCU "had a lot more Afro-American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did. Afro-American kids can run very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me that they run extremely well." Earlier that year, DeBerry had been criticized for a banner posted in the team's locker room that was interpreted by some as inappropriate religious proselytizing.
On December 15, 2006, DeBerry announced his retirement. He now splits his retirement time between South Carolina and Oklahoma, where he owns homes.
Other positions and awards
DeBerry has been named WACWestern Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Coach of the Year three times in his career, and in 1985, won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award as NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
college football's coach of the year. DeBerry has also been awarded the State Farm Coach of Distinction award in 2001, and has been inducted into the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. DeBerry received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Wofford during its graduation ceremony in 2003.
In 1996, DeBerry served as president of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
, and is currently the chairman of the AFCA ethics committee. He was honored by the Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
as a member of its Hall of Fame. In 2005, DeBerry was honored with induction into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
Off the football field
DeBerry and his wife, LuAnn, are notably active in church, charity and community affairs. Coach DeBerry gives motivational speeches to religious and corporate groups, and LuAnn is a volunteer with the Ronald McDonald House and the American Cancer SocietyAmerican Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
. DeBerry has strong ties to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
and was inducted into the organizations’s Hall of Champions in 2005. He and LuAnn have assisted fund-raising efforts for Easter Seals
Easter Seals
Easter Seals is an international charitable organization devoted to providing opportunities for children with physical disabilities. See*Easter Seals *Easter Seals *Easter Seals...
, the March of Dimes
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
, the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
and the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
. DeBerry's son, Joe, played in the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers baseball organizations. He currently resides in Grove, Oklahoma.