Newly named Defensive Coordinator Jami DeBerry has been around the game of football for most of his life, and he now brings that extensive experience to UVA Wise.
 
DeBerry arrives at UVA Wise from Ohio Dominican University, where he also served as a defensive coordinator. That job was simply the most recent installment in a varied career that has seen him work at schools from Western Kentucky University to Indiana State University to the University of Kansas.
 
Western Kentucky University gave DeBerry his start in more ways than one. A Kentucky native, he began his days at the school as a student-athlete, beginning his career as a safety and graduating as a linebacker. He saw no shortage of success during his time at the school, winning a conference championship during his first year at the school and winning a national championship in his third.
 
After graduating from Western Kentucky University with his bachelor's degree, DeBerry returned to obtain a graduate degree in Sports Administration and Recreation.
 
The school would eventually offer him another opportunity, as he soon began his coaching career at the school. In some ways, however, he had initially graduated as one. DeBerry recalls helping his fellow linebackers in terms of strategy during his days as a student-athlete. "I became a coach as a player," he said.
 
DeBerry has been familiar with UVA Wise Head Coach Dane Damron for nearly a decade now. Their "relationship really kind of took off", however, in 2014, when they faced off against one another in a game.
 
That relationship has worked out in UVA Wise's favor, as DeBerry believes the school is where he is meant to be for now. "I think my path the good Lord has sent me is here," he said.
 
DeBerry has nothing but high praise for Damron, and appreciates his approach to the game. "I think Coach Damron is very well-respected. I like his vision. I like the things that he represents for being the leader of the program and the direction that he wants to take these kids post-football," he said.
 
DeBerry's initial impressions of his fellow coaching staff have been incredibly positive. "I just told Coach last night, I think the staff is phenomenal. The one thing you can tell is that the staff is eager to win," he said.
 
That eagerness is something DeBerry shares, as he describes himself as having an itch for winning. It is a desire he believes may have partially originated during his middle school days. "We only won like two or three games. Got a lot better in high school, thankfully. If it didn't, I may not be in this profession," he laughed.
 
The coaching staff is not the only thing that has impressed him; DeBerry's impression of the school is also already a positive one. "The campus is beautiful," he said. "I'm from a small town that I grew up in, so the town is awesome."
 
DeBerry has been involved in football since the fifth grade. It was a relationship that he did not initially fully appreciate, however; at first, he was simply going through the motions. "I was playing it just because it was what everybody did in my town," he said.
 
That quickly began to change, however, and DeBerry's sentiments for the game are now incredibly strong. "I love the game.of football. It's given me so much, so I give back to it as much as I can," he said.
 
That commitment to giving back is evident in his approach to coaching. For DeBerry, his approach to and ideals concerning coaching can mostly be traced to one aspect of the job. "I think it all comes back to being a teacher," he said. "When you talk football, you're going to have to be a teacher and finding out how guys learn."
 
DeBerry's love for teaching helps to contribute to a perspective is larger than the actions of players in any given moment. Contrary to what many coaches may want to see from their players, he eagerly greets opportunities to steer his players away from errors. "I love mistakes because it allows me to be a teacher and allows me to be a coach, and that's what I love to do," he said.
 
While teaching various aspects of the game is important to him, DeBerry ultimately believes his role is something more than that, feeling that the job is about "trying to get these guys to … be more than they actually physically and mentally and spiritually think they can."
 
DeBerry is not keen on asking his players to abide by specific rules, but rather hopes that they will live by general principles. "I think we just have to make sure we're teaching these kids to do right. To do what's the right thing to do. To be kind, and to be loving, and to be … respectful. Those are the rules," he said.
 
In addition to his limited rules, DeBerry keeps his coaching philosophy simple. "I think Coach Dabo Swinney has a sign in their indoor that says 'best is the standard.' And … that made a lot of sense to me because I think you can only give your best, and that's what I ask for," he said.
 
DeBerry's focus is ultimately on showing a real, unforgettable love to his players. "I never want to replace somebody in their life, but I want to be someone that they remember. Not that I'm looking for … them to talk about me in the public. I just want them to know in their heart that I care about them. My family cares, and we're there for them."
 
DeBerry wants to gift a multi-faceted lesson to his student-athletes during their time with him. One aspect of that lesson is one that he has grown to embrace, and a lesson he believes football easily lends itself to teaching. "Life is not fair, and it has its ups and downs, and it's a roller coaster, and what you have to do as a man is that you have to be ready to face all those things that happen, good or bad, positive or negative," he said.
 
In the end, DeBerry's consuming passion in his career is the student-athletes under his care, and his ultimate aim is to elevate them. "It's all about them. It's not me. It's all about the players and the university. It's not about anything else. It's about them going out there and being successful and having them be happy, and being able to celebrate their successes and try to teach them from their failures."