Flying under the radar

DeBerry's success at Air Force has gone largely unnoticed

Only two active coaches have been at their schools longer than the 19 seasons Fisher DeBerry has spent at Air Force. Unlike Joe Paterno of Penn State (37 seasons) and Bobby Bowden of Florida State (27), DeBerry has yet to be deemed a legend. It is the price he pays for coaching in the Mountain West Conference, outside of the BCS orbit, and at a university where no one uses the term "going to war" in any conversation about football. Given the academic and military demands placed on DeBerry's players, not many other coaches could have built a record of 147-79-1 (.650).

Fellow coaches know what kind of job DeBerry has done. "We lost really good players because they couldn't handle the Academy way of life," said Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, an assistant to DeBerry for 11 seasons in Colorado Springs. "You have to be resilient. I think Coach DeBerry is probably the most positive person that I've ever been around. It was constant. He's the same guy all the time."

Upbeat, yes, but don't mistake that for soft. The sign just outside the door to the Falcons' practice locker room reads THE LEGACY OF FALCON FOOTBALL WILL NOT BE ENTRUSTED TO THE WEAK AND TIMID.

DeBerry's good nature was tested Saturday night, when Air Force lost at home to Notre Dame, 21-14, in a battle of 6-0 teams. Asked if he was happy with the effort of his players, DeBerry said, "I'm not happy at all. I'm not discouraged because I thought we fought hard. But we got beat by a better football team. ... We certainly sent a message that we could play."

DeBerry's teams are known for their option offense, ball-hawking defense and aggressive special teams (45 blocked kicks since 1997). Though the Irish limited the Falcons to 104 rushing yards, 235 below their NCAA-best average, Air Force kept the game close by scoring two touchdowns off of Notre Dame fumbles. "When you play a service academy team, especially one that does so well, it's very mind-taxing," Notre Dame linebacker Courtney Watson said after the game. "If you do one little thing wrong, they'll make you pay. Mentally, I'm exhausted right now."

Despite the loss, the Falcons remain one of the surprise teams of the season, given their 6-6 record of a year ago, only the third non-winning season of DeBerry's career. "One of the things that I have a great appreciation for," said Jets linebackers coach Bob Sutton, who as the Army coach from 1991-99 went 1-8 against DeBerry (and is the last Army or Navy coach to beat DeBerry, 23-7 in 1996), "is that when he's had a down year, he's always bounced back the next year. That's a reflection of his determination and his ability to instill his will into his team."

Disappointment bracketed last week for the 64-year-old DeBerry. His coach at Wofford and first boss, Jim Brakefield, died on Monday. "I didn't have a father," DeBerry said. "I felt like all my coaches have been father figures to me. When I got to college, Jim encouraged me to come out and play. When I was done, he asked me to come back and be on his staff. A lot of things we do, being involved in game preparation, came from him. He was a good mentor and role model. I was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame last May and he came down to see it. I don't know if he ever recovered from that trip. I felt a little bit responsible [for his ill health]. He wanted to be there."

The caring in DeBerry's voice was palpable. He somehow manages to deploy his South Carolina drawl and speak quickly at the same time, but the tenderness is always there. "He just believes in us," Falcons co-captain Leotis Palmer said. "When you have a coach who believes in you, you can go out and make plays. He's always complimentary. He sees the little things. If a lineman makes a block in practice and nobody else sees it, he sees it."

Yes, DeBerry notices everything. When will the college football public notice him?

Extra points