Calvary's Russell DeMasi, a former SSU assistant, is back coaching football on college stage

Russell DeMasi has been through a football coaching whirlwind in the last few years. The former Savannah State assistant head coach and offensive coordinator was passed over for the SSU head coaching job when Shawn Quinn left to take a position a Virginia Tech.

Many thought DeMasi, who had helped Quinn turn around the SSU program, was the heir apparent -- but SSU hired Aaron Kelton. Kelton offered to keep DeMasi on staff, but he declined the offer.

DeMasi was hired in May at Calvary Day as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, where he got a chance to work with one of the top prospects in the country in 4-star junior Jake Merklinger. The Cavs had a strong season -- winning the Region 3-3A title, advancing to the state quarterfinals and finishing the year with an 11-1 record.

Now DeMasi, considered one of the top offensive minds in the Southeast, is headed north for the next stage of his coaching career. He announced on Twitter Tuesday that he is taking a job as offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Wayne State University, a Division II program in Detroit.

How Russ DeMasi was shaped by Savannah Chip off a bunch of blocks: How Savannah State's Russell DeMasi's experiences shaped the coach

Calvary adds top notch assistant coachesHow a Calvary Day team loaded with talent added some big-name coaches to improve in offseason

Local 'Glue' players on prep hoop teamsHere's the 'Glue' players that anchor successful basketball squads as state playoffs begin

He was offered the job by Tyrone Wheatley, who was recently hired as the Wayne State head coach after a year coaching running backs for the Denver Broncos. Wheatley, the former University of Michigan star running back, went on to a memorable career in the NFL with the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders.

"I had interviewed with Coach Wheatley when he was at Morgan State in early 2022, and then a couple weeks later he was hired by the Broncos," DeMasi said. "Then he got this job and contacted me out of the blue a couple weeks ago and asked if I'd be interested. It turned out to be something I couldn't pass on.

"I love the recruiting aspect of coaching college ball," DeMasi said. "I like getting out on the backroads and finding those underdog kids with something to prove. I like to find those kids without many opportunities and give them a shot. I'm excited for another chance to continue doing what I love."

Before starting at SSU, where he coached for six seasons, DeMasi coached at Shorter University for three years. The former standout quarterback from Savannah Christian, who went on to play at Georgia Southern, said he enjoys coaching at the college level.

"I had never coached high school ball, but I fell in love with it at Calvary Day -- getting to work with (head) coach (Mark) Stroud and coach (defensive assistant Donald) Chumley and the kids there, so that made it a really tough decision to leave," DeMasi said. "Calvary Day and coach Stroud offered me a job when I was going through tough times and didn't have anything lined up, and it turned out to be a great opportunity. I'm very grateful they gave me a chance.

"Working with Jake (Merklinger) was great -- he's a different breed who eats, breathes and lives for football. He has the potential to be playing on Sundays one day," DeMasi said. "Then with the receivers like Doopah (Coleman), Caden (Arnold) and Michael (Smith) playing with Jake -- I might make a bad call, but they would turn it into a touchdown. It was a great experience working with such talented players in that offense."

DeMasi was driving up to Michigan when he did a phone interview Tuesday. He said he and his wife, Kate, plan to move north in March.

Merklinger, who recently picked up offers from Georgia and Miami, has about 30 schools on his offer list. He said he learned a lot from DeMasi and is going to miss working with him on a daily basis.

"I'm super happy for him and know he is going to kill it up there in Michigan," Merklinger said. "But we're going to miss him a lot. I have an amazing relationship with Coach DeMasi, he's like a best friend to me as well as a coach. We worked out together every day, played golf and spent a lot of time together. One thing he taught me is to always keep a level head, and that has helped me a lot."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Calvary assistant Russell DeMasi headed north for college coaching job