Fisher DeBerry

Fisher DeBerry (born June 9, 1938) is a former American football player and coach in the United States. 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.

Background

DeBerry was born in Cheraw, South Carolina 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...
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