He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy from 1984 to 2006, compiling a record of 169–109–1.

DeBerry led 17 of his 23 Air Force Falcons squads to winning records and captured 12 bowl game bids.

In 1982, Air Force posted an 8-5 record while averaging 30.4 points per game, and beat Vanderbilt in the 1982 Hall of Fame Classic.

[1] DeBerry's Falcons dominated the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series contested yearly with arch rival military academies Army and Navy.

Although DeBerry had been portrayed as a role model for most of his career, he came under fire for controversial racial remarks he made in October 2005 after a 48–10 loss to Texas Christian University (TCU).

"[3][4] Earlier that year, DeBerry had been criticized for a banner posted in the team's locker room that was interpreted by some as inappropriate religious proselytizing.

In 1996, DeBerry served as president of the American Football Coaches Association, and is currently the chairman of the AFCA ethics committee.

Coach DeBerry gives motivational speeches to religious and corporate groups, and LuAnn is a volunteer with the Ronald McDonald House and the American Cancer Society.

He and LuAnn have assisted fund-raising efforts for Easter Seals, the March of Dimes, the Salvation Army and the American Heart Association.

DeBerry's son, Joe, played in the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers baseball organizations.