Tony DeMeo

He takes over a program that was 5-16 the past two seasons. The Golden Eagles have only 47 players remaining from last season. Asked how many of those needed an academic boost, DeMeo said, "Quite a few ... There's a lot of work to do." "Kevorkian might not be the team doctor (at UC), but he's been an advisor."

As for how many recruits he will bring in for his first team, DeMeo said, "It won't be like a cattle call. We're going for quality over quantity ... players who are the right fit for the university." DeMeo said "the Golden Eagle program will play with 36 full equivalencies," the Division II grant-in-aid maximum.

With DeMeo at the helm The University of Charleston Golden Eagles finished the 2008 season with a 7-4 record. They recorded a 4-3 mark in West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Starting his fifth season as the University of Charleston's captain of the football ship DeMeo had this to say, "We've had a good body of work over four years," he said. "We're 28-16. That's a good record but that's not where we want to be. We want to be better than that. So we're taking steps to get better than that."

DeMeo said an increased intensity in off-season workouts should manifest into more success on the field for UC, allowing them to improve on the 7-4 mark they posted in 2008. "We're working hard," DeMeo said. "We're running and conditioning more. We made great strength gains in the weight room. We've made a lot of progress strength-wise. We want to improve in every aspect of the game. We want to become one of the elite programs in the country."

DeMeo's University of Charleston Golden Eagles finished the 2007 season with an 8-3 record and was tied for second place in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The UC Golden Eagles ranked 9th in the Northeast Region of Division II the highest regional finish in school history.

The 2006 season saw the Eagles produce some good news and some "not so good news." First, the not so good: the team had an overall 5-6 record for the season, ok given UC'S history, not acceptable in light of the previous season or DeMeo's established standards. The good news, the Eagles were 4-3 in WVIAC conference play, good enough for 2nd place.

At the conclusion of the 2005 season there was rejoicing at UC. The Golden Eagles, coming off a 2-8 record last season, had a established themselves as a force to be reckoned with going 8-3 for the season and 6-2 in conference play, a five win improvement which is the conference's best ever single season turnaround. Good news for the high flying Eagles and bad news for the rest of the WVIAC who had grown accustomed to them being the doormats of the league, no more thanks to DeMeo and his leadership. For his work he was named the Division 2Football.com WVIAC Coach of the Year in this his debut campaign.

DeMeo had a 31-54 record in eight years at Washburn, announced his resignation on Nov. 16. In the three seasons prior to his arrival, the Ichabods were 3-28. "The hardest part is leaving Topeka," he said. "We had eight good years here and made a lot of great friends in Topeka. I hope this will always be a place where I can come back and call home. I've always put my life in the hands of the Lord. I honestly felt in my heart and soul that it was time for me to make a change, both for me and for Washburn. The change has worked out well for me."

DeMeo became the head football coach for Washburn University in 1994. He held that position for eight seasons and ranks fourth at Washburn in terms of total wins. DeMeo inherited a woeful program mired in a decade of losing seasons. DeMeo's successful turn-around at Washburn saw the Ichabods finish 6-5 (the first winning season in over 10 years) and DeMeo was named MIAA Coach of the Year.

DeMeo's Washburn teams consistently finished among the best in many offensive categories. Under his direction, five Ichabods earned first team All-Conference and 21 earned second team honors. A dedicated teacher, he guided three academic all-america, 24 academic all-conference and 17 academic all-district student-athletes. He saw 81 of the 83 players that went through the program graduate. He then moved on to the University of Charleston as head football coach.

Jim Reid, head football coach at the University of Richmond, brought in Tony DeMeo as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach because he considers DeMeo to be an "option expert." He knows DeMeo's offensive football talents well. DeMeo was an assistant when Reid was head coach at (UMass) the University of Massachusetts.

DeMeo, former head football coach at Iona College and Washburn University, brings with him a wealth of knowledge he's gained in over 28 years of collegiate coaching experience. His proven teaching methods and offensive schemes are highly sought after by many schools. He has the knack of turning virtually any quarterback into a high percentage passer.

His innovative offensive schemes are easy to install and can be used effectively by football teams at any competitive level. His forte as stated by Jim Reid is the option and the various alternatives available.

As stated by DeMeo regarding "option plays" returning to college football; "With the coming of eight-man front defenses, popularized by Virginia Tech and the use of zone blitzes, bear blitzes and other pressure defenses, the option game has resurfaced in college football. Just about every team, regardless of their offensive philosophy, has added some form of an option attack to their playbook." From Richmond DeMeo moved on to be head coach at Washburn University in Kansas.

Additional stops in DeMeo's odessy include serving as Offensive Coordinator at Murray State University (1992), James Madison University (1990), Temple University (1988). He has been an assistant football coach at University of Massachusetts (1991), University of Delaware (1989), University of Pennsylvania (1979-1981)

DeMeo started the football team at Mercyhurst College, fielding the school's first football team in 1981. He built the program from the ground up leading his team to a top-20 ranking four times in his seven-years as the architect of a highly successful football program which saw the Lakers go 41-21-2. In addition to leading the Lakers to a an outstanding "on field" record, DeMeo saw 94 percent of his players graduate over the seven-year period. For his stellar performance he was honored with being named 1985 Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year.

From Iona, DeMeo became an assistant at Penn for two seasons before he moved on to Mercyhurst College

From Pace, DeMeo was hired to direct the football program at his alma mater Iona College where he was a standout football player and later coach. A 1971 graduate of Iona, he was a star defensive back and tailback for the Gaels. He was a member of Iona's 1967 undefeated (9-0) team that surrendered just 21 points the entire season.

After his playing days DeMeo returned to the football wars as head coach at Iona begining with the 1975 season. From 1975 through 1978 DeMeo's teams produced a 22-10-2 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark for the 1977 season. A two-time conference coach of the year, DeMeo led the Gaels to the conference championship in 1976 and 1977. and was twice named Coach of the Year for the Metropolitan Conference .

DeMeo was inducted into the Iona College "Goal Clue" Hall of Fame in 1997

DeMeo started his coaching career as an assistant at Pace University from 1973-74. From Pace he went to his alma mater Iona as head coach

Some of his accomplishments are: