Air Force coach might face punishment for remarks

DENVER -- Air Force Academy officials reprimanded coach Fisher DeBerry on Wednesday for what it called "seriously inappropriate" comments about black athletes but stopped short of firing him for his second public firestorm in as many years.\nThe 67-year-old coach, who is suffering through a 3-5 season, issued an apology.\n"I realize the things I said might have been hurtful to many people and I want everyone to understand that I never intended to offend anyone," he said.\nOn Tuesday, in discussing last weekend's 48-10 loss to TCU, DeBerry said it was clear TCU "had a lot more African-American players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did."\n"It just seems to me to be that way," he said. "African American kids can run very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me that they run extremely well."\nDeBerry first discussed the topic Monday, telling The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colo., the academy needed to recruit faster players and noting, "you don't see many minority athletes in our program."\nAthletics Director Hans Mueh said he told DeBerry his comments were inappropriate. The two went to the home of Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Regni, who took command Monday. Regni, who had never met DeBerry, also reprimanded the coach.\nMueh said DeBerry, now in his 22nd year as coach with the Falcons, would not lose his job.\n"It was a seriously, seriously inappropriate comment," Mueh said. "This was a great first step. This was not Fisher DeBerry, not the man I've known for 25 years. I'd like for us to all just move on from there."\nDeBerry also said he had no plans on stepping down after the second controversy he's endured in the last 12 months.\nLast year, DeBerry was asked to remove a banner from the locker room which displayed the "Competitor's Creed," including the lines "I am a Christian first and last ... I am a member of Team Jesus Christ."\nThat incident came just before critics began to complain that the school fosters an atmosphere of religious intolerance, particularly against non-Christians. The Air Force recently issued new guidelines directing leaders to be more sensitive to diversity after evangelical Christians were accused of harassing cadets who held other beliefs.