Responsibility: Associate Head Coach/Safeties
Birthday: April 17
Hometown: Titusville, Fla.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree (Louisiana, '87)
Family: Wife – Laura, Daughter – Ashley
Year at West Virginia: First
Year in Coaching: 23
Playing Career
- Four-year letterman at linebacker and two-year letterman as a pitcher on the baseball team
- Two-time all-Southern and all-Louisiana independent team member
- Played two seasons (1987-88) of professional football for the NFL's Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints and Calgary Stampeders (CFL)
Coaching Career
2012: West Virginia (associate head coach/defensive coordinator/safeties)
2001-11: Oklahoma State (associate head coach/special teams/safeties)
1994-00: Duke (special teams/outside linebackers)
1992-94: Rice (outside linebackers)
1990-92: Rice (graduate assistant/running backs)
1988-90: Titusville (Fla.) HS (outside linebackers)
Bowl Games Coached
2012: Fiesta
2010: Alamo
2010: Cotton
2008: Holiday
2007: Insight
2006: Independence
2004: Alamo
2004: Cotton
2002: Houston
1995: Hall of Fame
Coaching Highlights
Oklahoma State
- Coached Quinn Sharp in 2011, who was No. 3 nationally with an average of 46.28 yards per punt, while ranking seventh in the nation in field percentage (.880) on 22-of-25 kicking. Sharp also finished 79-for-80 on extra points.
- Coached the 2008 Ray Guy Award winner in Matt Fodge, the 2010 Lou Groza Award winner in Dan Bailey and 2011 Lou Groza semifinalist Quinn Sharp.
- 2010 Oklahoma State kicker/punter combination of Dan Bailey and Quinn Sharp ranked as the best in the country in 2010, as Bailey won the Lou Groza Award and Sharp was a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.
- In 2010, returner Justin Gilbert led the Big 12 and ranked second nationally with two kickoff return touchdowns. Gilbert's 26.9 yards per kick return average ranked second in the Big 12 and 24th nationally.
- Oklahoma State accounted for seven non-offensive touchdowns in 2010, as Oklahoma State's special teams unit accounted for two kick return touchdowns, a punt return touchdown and two blocked punt returns for touchdowns and safeties Johnny Thomas and Markelle Martin both returned interceptions for touchdowns.
- Oklahoma State ranked second in the Big 12 in both punt return average (13.3) and kickoff coverage (45.5 net average) in 2009. Punter Quinn Sharp became a Ray Guy Award candidate and ranked second in the league in punting (45.1 yards per punt), while kicker Dan Bailey was perfect on PAT's. Perrish Cox set the Big 12 record for career kickoff return yardage and earned All-Big 12 second team honors as a kick/punt returner.
- In 2008, punter Matt Fodge was the winner of the Ray Guy Award presented to the nation's top punter, punt returner Dez Bryant was the Big 12 special teams player of the year and kick returner Perrish Cox set a Big 12 record with two kick returns for touchdowns to up his career total to four kick returns for scores, a figure that at one time led all active NCAA players. Cox was a first-team All-America honoree by CBSSportsline.com and was a third-team All-America kick returner by Rivals.com.
- DeForest's 2008 punt unit ranked sixth in the nation, his punt return squad ranked second nationally and his kick return squad was 18th nationally.
- In 2007, Perrish Cox was one of only three players in the nation to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown. In 2006, Oklahoma State ended the year No. 8 nationally in kickoff returns, No. 27 in punt returns, and had some of the nation's standout special teams performers in return specialists Cox (No. 14 in punt returns), Grant Jones (No. 13 in kickoff returns) and punter Matt Fodge (eighth in the country). The Cowboys were also 11-of-13 in field goals in 2006. Jones and Fodge were both second-team All-Americans, and Cox was a Freshman All-American. Jones and Cox both had kickoff returns for touchdowns in 2006.
- In 2005, Daniel McLemore turned into one of the league's most feared kick returners and racked up the second-most kickoff return yards (638) in OSU history. DeForest also oversaw the development of walk-on kicker Bruce Redden into a weapon who connected on 11-of-14 field goals.
- In 2004, the Cowboys led the Big 12 and were 10th nationally in punt returns, averaging 14.7 yards per return. The Cowboys were 26th in net punting and 38th in kickoff returns.
- DeForest's impact on the Cowboys was felt immediately upon his hiring. In his first season, OSU improved in every statistical category, going from 73rd to 10th in net punting, from 67th to 12th in punt returns and from 92nd to third in kickoff returns. Chris Massey led the NCAA in kickoff returns in 2001.
Duke
- The Blue Devils finished the 2000 season No. 6 in the nation in net punting and 15th in kickoff returns. Punter Brian Morton was second in the nation in punting, averaging 45.2 yards per kick, while two players - Kyle Moore (ninth) and Chris Douglas (45th) - ranked in the top 50 in kickoff returns.
Rice
- Trevor Cobb was the 1991 Doak Walker Award winner as one of DeForest’s pupils at Rice.
Professional Players
Oklahoma State: Dan Bailey (K), Perrish Cox (KR/PR), Cole Farden (P), Matt Fodge (P), Jamie Thompson (S), Darrent Williams (KR/PR)
Duke: Ryan Fowler (LB), Patrick Mannelly (LS)
Rice: Trevor Cobb (RB)
All-American Players
Oklahoma State: Markelle Martin (2011), Quinn Sharp (2010-11), Dan Bailey (2010)
Duke: Brian Morton (2000)
Rice: Trevor Cobb (1991-92)
All-Conference Players
Oklahoma State: Justin Gilbert (2011), Markelle Martin (2011), Quinn Sharp (2010-11), Dan Bailey (2010), Perrish Cox (2009), Matt Fodge (2006, 08), Darrent Williams (2003), Chris Massey (2001-02), Luke Phillips (2001-02)
Duke: Brian Morton (1999-00), Sims Lenhardt (1997-99), John Krueger (1996), John Zuanich (1994)
Rice: Larry Izzo (1994), Trevor Cobb (1990-92)
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