Air Force Academy – Air Force officials hope to begin interviewing candidates for the academy’s football coaching position this week, but athletic director Hans Mueh said Saturday he wouldn’t rush the process to find a replacement for Fisher DeBerry.
“I’m not going to rush to judgment,” Mueh said. “We’re going to look at every possible candidate. But I hope we can get this done as quickly as possible for the good of the program.”
Mueh said he felt a responsibility to provide an element of security for the academy’s football players. He said it’s important the players rally around a new coach as soon as possible.
DeBerry, 68, announced Friday that he was retiring after 23 years as coach of the Falcons. He is the winningest coach in service academy football history, compiling a 169-101-1 record.
Mueh indicated he had a head start in finding Air Force’s sixth football coach.
“I’m not starting from zero,” Mueh said. “We’re not at the point of compiling a short list, but Fisher has been building a list of candidates for 25 years. It will be an interesting run.”
Troy Calhoun, a former AFA quarterback and presently the offensive coordinator for the NFL’s Houston Texans, is a potential candidate. Several former AFA players are promoting the candidacy of Ed Warinner, a former AFA assistant coach who presently is on the staff at Illinois. Notre Dame assistant Jappy Oliver, another former AFA assistant, also could be a candidate.
Mueh said several current AFA assisant coaches would be considered, but he wouldn’t characterize any of the names being mentioned as candidates.
“I’ve received inquiries from people, agents, coaches,” Mueh said. “I’m going to talk to everybody who wants to talk to us.”
Of the 2006 staff members, Paul Hamilton, Richard Bell, Brian Knorr and Pete Hurt have head coaching experience. Offensive coordinator Chuck Petersen just completed his 17th season on staff. AFA players, meanwhile, are looking to the future with a degree of excitement.
“We’re very disappointed to see a legend leave,” junior quarterback Shaun Carney said. “At the same time, something new is going to come in. It’s a moment of excitement and people being anxious and nervous at the same time about what is going to happen.”
Carney said part of the excitement could be in determining if the option offense is essential to Air Force’s success.
Mueh didn’t give any additional information as to the reason for DeBerry’s decision, even though he had thought DeBerry would return for a 24th season in charge. Mueh denied that DeBerry had been pressured to make changes on his coaching staff.
“I think he sat down with his family and said it was time,” Mueh said. “This is a sad day in a way. I wish for Fisher that he had gone out the way he envisioned this season would be.”
The 2006 Falcons finished 4-8.
“My heart and prayers will always be with the Fighting Falcons,” DeBerry said in his statement. “We have been blessed and privileged to have had the opportunity to coach the finest young people in America and work daily with the best coaches in NCAA football.”
Mueh hinted DeBerry might have a hand in picking his successor.
“I’ll call lots of people for advice, including Fisher,” Mueh said. “I think previous experience at an academy helps, but I’m not limiting ourselves to that. We can teach people how this place works.”
Mueh, who graduated from the academy in 1966, said he is looking for a head coach who has integrity, coaching experience and is an innovator.
“I’m not one to look back, and we’ll move on,” Mueh said. “We’re into the next phase of our football program.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
