Paul Johnson and the Fall of Fisher DeBerry

They say that things like this are bound to happen. That in all manner events, whether on or off the football field, all things must eventuall come to an end. For Fisher DeBerry and the Air Force football community, the dynasty built during the 1980s and 1990s has come to a sudden halt following a third consecutive losing season, an event which culminated with the retirment of the 68 year old living legend and the beginning of a new Service Academy football era.

And just as Rome did not fall by the hands of the Visigoths alone, so to can we trace the fall of Fisher DeBerry's Air Force program to a multitude of different causes and events. And while one can dispute the label of "fallen," one certainly cannot find argument in the fact that the Falcons of today are not the Falcons of five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years ago. The possible explanations for this are many, and in reality we will come to find that it was probably a combination of both internal and external factors which finally slowed DeBerry's Juggernaut. From the advent of a more competitive Mountain West to the changing face of the Air Force Academy's administration, these factors finally came to a head in 2003, which, not by coincidence alone, was also the year another Service Academy asserted itself onto a winning stage. But for the sake of argument, I wish to focus in on only one of the many aspects that contributed to the recent downswing of the Air Force football program, and with it, DeBerry's career; The advent of Paul Johnson's resurgent Navy Football program.

Those familiar with Service Academy football can attest to the usually cyclical nature of the sport, in which no more then one Academy reins supreme at any given period of time, at least within the framework of the modern era. For the 1980s and 1990s, it was Fisher DeBerry's Air Force program which routinely, year in and year out, took home the Commander-In-Chiefs trophy and blanketed Army and Navy. With West Point and the Annapolis struggling to field competitive teams on a consistent basis, DeBerry had a near monopoly on the small pool of recruits willing to attend a service academy, and his innovative triple option offense kept his team near the top of the Western Athletic Conference and later the Mountain West Athletic Conference. DeBerry is often noted by critics (including myself) for his arrogant and condescending manner toward the other two Academies, a trait which undoubtedly led to his downfall. The following has been put together to chronicle, on a yearly basis, the changing balance of power between Air Force and Navy, and the coaching duel which left DeBerry on the losing side.

2003: The Turning Point

The beginning of the end for DeBerry's on-the-field success came on an overcast day at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on October 4th, 2003. The Falcons had begun the season strong, starting out 5-0 and earning a #25 ranking the week before in a convincing 24-10 win in Provo. The Midshipmen, meanwhile, were still something of a question mark at 2-2, with victories coming over cupcakes like VMI and Eastern Michigan. What ensued on that day will go down in service academy football history for years to come. Under the direction of a second-year Head Coach with a distinct southern drawl, Navy's football team defeated Air Force for the first time since 1996. The ripple effects would be substantial. The Falcons went on to finish a respectable 7-5, while Navy would go 8-4 during the regular season. A one game difference, made possible, of course, by the game in Landover. In the end it boiled down to Navy going to a Bowl game and Air Force sitting at home. How much the loss that was never suppose to happen hampered the rest of Air Force's season I don't know, but I'm inclined to believe at least a small loss of focus took place amongst the Falcon players, perhaps even enough to derail their MWC Title hopes. What I do know is that Paul Johnson had proven he could beat DeBerry, and that Paul Johnson could know hang the overwhelming Commander-In-Chiefs trophy in Bancroft Hall for all his recruits to see. Although it may not have been apparent, the tide had finally turned.

2004: No Looking Back

According to DeBerry and his team, the 2003 game was nothing more then a "fluke," the occasional mishap that comes with the territory of playing the same team year in and year out. Eventually for Goliath, the thinking goes, David wins every once and a while, and coming into the 2004 game, it looked as if the Falcons were ready to take back their place back atop service academy football. Apparently, they thought wrong. While the 2003 game may have been the turning point in the series, 2004 proved to the entire country that Navy and their up-and-coming head coach had Air Force's number . This was the game that was broadcast nationally on ESPN on a Thursday night, and this was the game, history will say, which gave Navy an edge in the recruiting arena. For the Midshipmen, starting the year at 4-0, walking into the hostile environment of Falcon Stadium and coming away with the win was only further evidence that Johnson had built a winning mentality that was here to stay. That same year DeBerry's team went 5-6, with the difference between success and failure once again defined by the young men in blue and gold. It was at this time that I think the series began to take on new meaning for the Air Force staff and players. No longer was the Mountain West Title the prime objective, and suddenly the phrase "Beat Navy" took on a more important role then ever. In retrospect, it would seem as though the Falcons were setting themselves up for disaster in 2005.

2005: The Greatest Letdown

If DeBerry was to have a chance at reasserting his program to the top, 2005 would of been it. Despite their 4-7 record, the Falcons were highly competitive amidst a very deep MWC that year, and often found themselves just a few points short at the final tick of the clock. They entered the Navy game at an uninspiring 2-3, but the prospect of getting back to .500 may have been enough to propel Air Force to a winning season. But in a game the Falcons should have easily won, a scrappy and young Navy team fought to the bitter end, finally winning the game as Joey Bullen connected on a 47-yard field goal with only milliseconds remaining. Combined with injuries and a bleak outlook, DeBerry's team limped to a 4-7 record in 2005. That off-season, Johnson reported that he got nearly all of the recruits he wanted in a head to head matchup with Air Force. The transfer of power was nearly complete.

2006: The Final Straw

How does a team which came within a two-point conversion of knocking off a National power like Tennessee fall to the depths of college football, suffering four consecutive loses to close out the year at a disappointing 4-8? This is the question Air Force fans are grappling with this very day, and the question which ultimately led to DeBerry's retirement last week. The answer is not so simple, and once again we can use the guise of close loses, poor scheduling, and injuries to arrive at an answer. But, once again, we cannot afford to overlook the influence of Paul Johnson and Navy. The Falcons were feeling confident heading into their matchup with the Mids. Sitting at 2-1, a Bowl game was not out of sight for Air Force, which first needed to get past the 4-1 Midshipmen. What transpired on that hot day in Colorado Springs would prove to be the final straw for DeBerry, as a physical and veteran Navy team outplayed his Falcon team for four quarters. The Falcons nearly made a amazing comeback after falling down 24-7, but a fourth-and-six pass breakup ended any hope for the win. For the Falcons, it proved to once again be the turning point after a promising start, as DeBerry's squad managed to only win two of the next eight games. Once again, Navy was going to a Bowl game and Air Force was not, and once again, it looks as if Navy will beat Air Force handily in the battle for recruits.

Conclusion

History will tell, I'm certain, that Paul Johnson will come to be recognized as one of the prime factors in the eventually fall of DeBerry's Air Force program. I'm not trying to trivialize what was a very complicated process by any means. The injuries, close calls, and just plain dumb luck which went against the Falcons in 2004 and 2005 should not be overlooked, but neither should the idea that Paul Johnson out-coached DeBerry at his own game. Maybe I'm making too much of this, reading into situations that as a fan I don't properly understand. But when I heard DeBerry speak after the Navy game this past season, I heard the voice of a man who knew that it was over. His frequent references to Johnson and "our game" signaled, to me anyway, a final understanding that Air Force had relinquished its role as a super power. For an emotional coach and what many have described as an emotional team, these four consecutive loses, all at the hands of Paul Johnson and his Navy football team, seemed to really take the life out of a once-proud program. I wrote this not to spite DeBerry or to predict about where this Navy team is going. I'm not particularly fond of DeBerry, but I don't hold the grudges many Navy and Army fans hold. He may have acted like an ass towards the other Academies, but you can't dispute the success he had at a place where you weren't suppose to have it. When he retired the other day, I initially felt glad, but soon realized that he deserved more then just a mention as an outspoken and controversial individual who managed to ruffle some people's feathers. He didn't deserve the treatment he received for his "Afro-American" comment (Joe Paterno said the same thing weeks later) and he shouldn't have been vilified for being somebody who wears his faith on his sleeve. The reality was that Fisher was a great coach for many years, but in the end he and his program were overtaken by Paul Johnson and a resurgent Navy team which is still very much on the upswing.