Bio

Steve DeMeo enters his 10th season — and fourth since returning for his second stint — as Head Coach of Northwest Florida State College men’s basketball for the 2025–26 season.

DeMeo was reintroduced as head coach on April 4, 2022, after a highly successful first tenure from 2013–19. Before returning to Niceville, he spent time as an assistant coach at East Carolina University (2021–22) and St. John’s University (2019–21).

With more than three decades of experience at every level of college basketball, DeMeo has built one of the most successful junior college programs in the nation. During his first run with the Raiders, he guided Northwest Florida State to a national championship in 2015, earning Spalding NJCAA National Coach of the Year honors. Under his leadership, the Raiders compiled an impressive 198–35 (.850) record over six seasons, advancing to the NJCAA Final Four in 2017 and the Elite Eight in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

The Raiders also dominated the Panhandle Conference under DeMeo, capturing five straight conference titles (2015–19) and four FCSAA State Championships (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).

Since returning in 2022, DeMeo has reignited that same level of excellence. The Raiders have achieved four consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 29–6 campaign in 2023–24 that featured a return to the NJCAA Elite Eight and a second-place finish in both the Panhandle Conference and FCSAA State Tournament. In 2022–23, Northwest Florida captured both the Panhandle and FCSAA Championships while advancing to another NJCAA National Tournament appearance.

Across his eight seasons with the program, DeMeo has earned five FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII Coach of the Year honors (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023) and six Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year awards (2015–19, 2023). He was recognized by Basketball Times as the Top Junior College Coach in the Nation (2018) and received the Red Auerbach Coach of the Year Award at the 2017 NCAA Final Four. In 2023, DeMeo was inducted into the FCSAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame for his extraordinary success at Northwest Florida State.

A proven winner and recruiter, DeMeo has amassed a career head coaching record of 323–111 (.744) across stints at Northwest Florida State, Newberry College, Monroe College, and Bronx Community College. He has coached 53 players who advanced to Division I programs, including 2018–19 NJCAA National Player of the Year Chris Duarte, now an NBA player. All 55 of his sophomores at NWFSC have gone on to graduate.

Prior to his head coaching success, DeMeo spent 17 years as a Division I assistant, with impactful roles at Providence, Iona, UCF, and Hofstra. During his time at Providence (1998–2008), he helped the Friars to five postseason appearances and was named one of Rivals.com’s Top 25 Assistant Coaches in Division I. He played a key role in recruiting Ryan Gomes, a two-time All-BIG EAST and All-American who went on to an NBA career, as well as NBA draftees MarShon Brooks, Herbert Hill, and Marcus Douthit.

At Iona (1995–98), DeMeo helped lead the Gaels to three postseason appearances, including the 1998 NCAA Tournament, and three straight MAAC regular-season titles. He later served as associate head coach at Hofstra (2010–13), helping the Pride to a 21–12 record and developing future NBA guard Charles Jenkins.

Before that, DeMeo held the head coaching job at Newberry College (2009–10) and was an assistant at UCF (2008–09), where he mentored Jermaine Taylor, the 2009 Conference USA Player of the Year.

DeMeo began his coaching career in 1988, serving at Queensborough CC, LIU-Post, and later taking his first head coaching role at Bronx Community College (1990–93), where he won a conference title in his first year. He went on to dominate at Monroe College (1993–95) with a 53–8 record (.869), earning two NJCAA Region XV Coach of the Year awards and finishing one season as the top-ranked team in the nation.

A native of Bayside, New York, DeMeo earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

STEVE DEMEO HEAD COACHING RECORD

 *NJCAA National Tournament cancelled (COVID-19)

NJCAA National Championships: 2015

NJCAA Runner-Up: 2023

NJCAA Final Four: 2015, 2017, 2023

NJCAA Elite Eight: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024

FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII Championships: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023

Panhandle Conference Championships : 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023

NJCAA Coach of the Year Awards: 2015

FCSAA Coach of the Year Awards: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023

Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year Awards: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023

2023 FCSAA Men's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee