The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Fisher DeBerry

Followed Ken Hatfield. Fisher DeBerry raised Air Force from Regional Program III to National Program II.

169–109
1984–2006 · 1 stint
Air Force
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Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerAIR FORCENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelAir Force, 1984: 8-4, Regional Program II1984Air Force, 1985: 12-1, National Program IIIAir Force, 1986: 6-5, National Program IIIAir Force, 1987: 9-4, National Program IIIAir Force, 1988: 5-7, National Program IIIAir Force, 1989: 8-4, National Program IIIAir Force, 1990: 7-5, National Program IIIAir Force, 1991: 10-3, National Program IIIAir Force, 1992: 7-5, National Program IIIAir Force, 1993: 4-8, Regional Program IAir Force, 1994: 8-4, Regional Program IAir Force, 1995: 8-5, Regional Program IAir Force, 1996: 6-5, National Program IIIAir Force, 1997: 10-3, National Program IIIAir Force, 1998: 12-1, National Program IIAir Force, 1999: 6-5, National Program IIAir Force, 2000: 9-3, National Program IIAir Force, 2001: 6-6, National Program IIIAir Force, 2002: 8-5, National Program IIIAir Force, 2003: 7-5, National Program IIIAir Force, 2004: 5-6, Regional Program IAir Force, 2005: 4-7, Regional Program IAir Force, 2006: 4-8, Regional Program I2006+15.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 33% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #402 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Air Force, 23 seasons
+15.6
Regional Program II → Regional Program I.

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

34–11 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Paul Johnson.

Rivalry record
34–11
75.6% · 2 rivals
One-score games
53–52–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–11
21.4%
Rivalry ledger
Navy17–674%
Army17–577%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Paul Johnson1–4
5 meetings, 2002–2006
’02 W’03 L’04 L’05 L’06 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
3–11 21.4%
Power Program
8–19 29.6%
National Program
34–28 54.8%
Regional Program
111–50 68.9%

Coaching career

1984–2006
Air Forcebuilder
Regional Program III → National Program II
Fisher DeBerry raised Air Force from Regional Program III to National Program II.

1st-best Air Force tenure of 6 by the numbers.

Followed Ken Hatfield (1979–1983) · succeeded by Troy Calhoun (2007–2026).

3 NFL Draft picks: Steve Russ (1995), Daniel Palmer (1997), Bryce Fisher (1999)

169–109