During DeBerry's tenure as head coach, Air Force won at least eight games 11 different seasons. DeBerry's first team, in 1984, was 8–4 and beat Virginia Tech in the 1984 Independence Bowl. The next year, the Falcons won 12 games, and were ranked as high as #4 nationally until a 28–21 loss at BYU. In the final Associated Press poll, the Falcons ranked eighth. DeBerry coached the Falcons to three Western Athletic Conference championships: 1985, 1995, and 1998. The 1998 team went 12–1 for the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in school history and finished the season ranked 10th nationally.