Bio

Steve DeMeo enters his 11th season—and fifth since returning for his second stint—as head coach of Northwest Florida State men’s basketball for the 2026-27 season.

DeMeo was reintroduced as the Raiders' head coach on April 4, 2022, after a tremendously successful first tenure from 2013-19. Prior to his return to Niceville, he spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at East Carolina University after serving two seasons on the staff at St. John’s University from 2019-21.

With more than 30 years of coaching experience at every level of collegiate basketball, DeMeo owns a career head coaching record of 343-120 (.741) across stops at Northwest Florida State, Newberry College, Monroe College, and Bronx Community College.

During his first six seasons with the Raiders, DeMeo transformed Northwest Florida into one of the premier junior college programs in the country. From 2013-19, he compiled a remarkable 198-35 (.850) record, highlighted by the program's first NJCAA National Championship in 2015, earning Spalding NJCAA National Coach of the Year honors. His teams also advanced to the NJCAA Final Four in 2017 and reached the Elite Eight in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Conference dominance became a hallmark of DeMeo's first stint, as the Raiders captured five consecutive Panhandle Conference Championships from 2015-19 while also winning four FCSAA State Championships in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Since returning in 2022, DeMeo has quickly restored Northwest Florida to national prominence. The Raiders have posted four consecutive 20-win seasons while winning two Panhandle Conference Championships, one FCSAA Championship, advancing to three NJCAA Elite Eight appearances, and making the 2023 NJCAA National Championship game.

The 2025-26 season was another successful campaign under DeMeo, as Northwest Florida finished 27-8 overall and captured its 17th Panhandle Conference Championship. The Raiders advanced to another NJCAA Elite Eight, saw four players earn All-Panhandle Conference honors, Braylon Roman receive All-FCSAA recognition, and nine student-athletes sign with four-year universities.

In 2023-24, the Raiders finished 29-6 overall and 9-3 in conference play, earned an FCSAA runner-up finish, and advanced to the NJCAA Elite Eight.

DeMeo's return season in 2022-23 produced immediate success, as Northwest Florida won both the Panhandle Conference and FCSAA Championships before advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament. The Raiders returned to the National Championship game for the second consecutive season behind one of the nation's most talented rosters, featuring future Division I standouts Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn/USC), Kasean Pryor (USF/Louisville), Tajuan Simpkins (Elon/Seton Hall/Mississippi State), Takai Simpkins (Elon/Oregon), and Tavion Banks (Drake/Iowa).

Throughout his eight seasons leading the Raiders, DeMeo has earned five FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII Coach of the Year honors (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023) and seven Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year awards (2015-19, 2023, 2026). He was also recognized as the nation's Top Junior College Coach by Basketball Times in 2018 and received the prestigious Red Auerbach Coach of the Year Award during the 2017 NCAA Final Four. In 2023, DeMeo was inducted into the FCSAA Men's Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments at Northwest Florida State.

One of the nation's top recruiters and player developers, DeMeo has coached 62 players who advanced to NCAA Division I programs. Among them is 2018-19 NJCAA National Player of the Year Chris Duarte, who transferred to Oregon before being selected 13th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2021 NBA Draft. Every sophomore who has completed their career under DeMeo at Northwest Florida State has gone on to graduate.

Before establishing his legacy in Niceville, DeMeo spent 17 seasons as a Division I assistant coach with Providence, Iona, UCF, and Hofstra.

At Providence (1998-2008), he helped lead the Friars to five postseason appearances and was recognized by Rivals.com as one of the Top 25 Assistant Coaches in Division I. He played an instrumental role in recruiting and developing Ryan Gomes, a two-time All-BIG EAST selection and All-American who went on to a successful NBA career, along with future NBA players MarShon Brooks, Herbert Hill, and Marcus Douthit.

While at Iona from 1995-98, DeMeo helped guide the Gaels to three consecutive MAAC regular-season championships, three postseason appearances, and a berth in the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

He later served as associate head coach at Hofstra (2010-13), where he helped the Pride to a 21-12 record while mentoring future NBA guard Charles Jenkins.

Between those stops, DeMeo spent the 2009-10 season as head coach at Newberry College after serving as an assistant coach at UCF in 2008-09, where he worked closely with 2009 Conference USA Player of the Year Jermaine Taylor.

DeMeo began his coaching career in 1988 with assistant coaching positions at Queensborough Community College and LIU-Post before earning his first head coaching opportunity at Bronx Community College from 1990-93. He captured a conference championship in his first season before moving to Monroe College, where he compiled a 53-8 (.869) record from 1993-95, won two NJCAA Region XV Coach of the Year awards, and led the program to a No. 1 national ranking.

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, 2026

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

Panhandle Conference Championships : 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2026

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, 2026

2023 FCSAA Men's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee