Fisher DeBerry served as the AFCA President in 1996.

DeBerry was the second coach from Air Force to lead the AFCA. He was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 1988. He joins Ben Martin (1977) as the only Air Force coaches to lead the organization. In addition to his time on the Board of Trustees, DeBerry also chaired the AFCA's Ethics Committee from 2001-2005.

DeBerry retired from coaching following the 2006 season with a 23-year record of 169-109-1 at Air Force.

His record stands alone at Air Force and stands up against the best in the nation. He led 17 of his 23 teams to winning records and 12 captured a bowl bid, posting a 6-6 record. His career record is the best in school history in terms of games won and winning percentage.

He coached the Falcons to three conference championships. The team won a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship in 1985, his second season, and again in 1995. In 1998, DeBerry guided the team to its first outright title with the WAC Mountain Division championship and a win over Brigham Young in the title game in Las Vegas. He was named WAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. The 1998 team's 12-1 record completed the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in school history following a 10-3 campaign the previous year. The 1998 squad finished the season ranked 10th nationally.

DeBerry’s teams ranked among the country’s top 30 in total wins over the last 10 years with a 71-49 mark. Only traditional national powers like Nebraska, Florida State, Tennessee, Kansas State, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Miami, Oregon and Texas can brag about winning more than Air Force.

DeBerry came to the Academy as an assistant from 1980-83 before the Academy promoted him to head coach in 1984 succeeding Ken Hatfield. His success was immediate as Air Force started the 1985 season 10-0 and flirted with a national championship game appearance before finishing 12-1 with a 24-16 beating of Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl to earn DeBerry AFCA National Coach of the Year honors.

A native of Cheraw, S.C., DeBerry graduated in 1960 from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., where he lettered in football and baseball. DeBerry played second base and shortstop in baseball and flanker, defensive back and linebacker in football. He is a member of the Wofford Hall of Fame.

After six years of coaching and teaching in the South Carolina high school ranks, DeBerry returned to Wofford, where he stayed two years as an assistant when Wofford won 21 consecutive games and was ranked No. 1 in the NAIA. Wofford played Texas A&I for the national small college championship. However, it was during a nine-year stop at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., where his work with the wishbone began to blossom.

Three times (1975, '78, '79) Appalachian State was ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing, total offense or scoring under DeBerry. In 1974, the team ranked sixth nationally in pass defense when he was defensive coordinator.

The coach grew up in rural Cheraw, S.C., (pop. 5,505), where ball fields seemingly out-number everything but the surrounding watermelon and cotton fields. It was there that DeBerry discovered sports. In high school, DeBerry was a four-sport letterwinner. He lettered five times in baseball, three each in football and basketball and twice in track. He was an all-state selection in baseball and football and played in the all-state football game.

DeBerry was born June 9, 1938. His wife, LuAnn, grew up just around the corner from the DeBerry home in Cheraw. They have a son (Joe) and daughter (Michelle) and five grandchildren, Joseph (13), Jessica (11), Andrew (8), Alanna (6) and Christian (3).

The DeBerrys started the Fisher DeBerry Foundation in 2004. The foundation exists to provide children of single parent homes life changing opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. They pay to send children to sports camps and other activities. It’s a passion that DeBerry supports with more than just his name. The coach and LuAnn are deeply involved in the day-to-day activities.