Updated: Savannah State promotes DeMasi to interim head coach following Shawn Quinn's resignation

Every time Russell DeMasi has been asked to do more, he has answered in the affirmative.

The Savannah native came to Savannah State University in 2015 as the quarterbacks coach, then added duties as recruiting coordinator, co-offensive coordinator and, this year, assistant head coach — getting DeMasi that much closer to his dream of heading his own program.

On Friday, he met with SSU director of athletics Opio Mashariki and was asked to be the interim head coach in the wake of Shawn Quinn's sudden resignation Wednesday.

"When (Mashariki) gave me an opportunity, he didn't even need to hear yes. He saw the grin on my face and knew what the answer was," DeMasi said in an interview Friday shortly after informing the team of his promotion, effective Dec. 7. "There was no hesitation at all. I was just very appreciative of him and (SSU president Kimberly) Dr. Ballard-Washington giving me this opportunity.

'It's something I've been wanting for a long time," said DeMasi, the son of Karl DeMasi, who has coached several sports at local high schools since 1995, and currently is athletic director and boys basketball coach at Islands. "My dad's been on the sidelines in Savannah for a long time. I could probably remember being at a Groves (football) game in 2003 watching him coach, thinking this is what I want to do. Maybe not at another level, but I want to lead a team of my own."

DeMasi will apply to be the permanent head coach but did not know the timetable in the university's search for Quinn's replacement.

"I'm going to do the best job I can these next few months while we're in the process of a search and, hopefully, give them a reason to keep me," DeMasi said. 

"I know they said it might be a couple of months. We're getting into holiday season. Didn't really give me a date. Said there's a few months they're going to look at candidates. Not something I'm really worried about. It could be next week. It could be Feb. 1. It could be March 1. Who knows? I'm just going to make sure while I'm in this position, myself and the coaches are doing the right things to move this program forward and not miss a beat, so whoever does take over, whether it's me or somebody else, that they're sitting in a good position with a team ready to take over."

Change at the top:Savannah State football coach Shawn Quinn steps down after two winning seasons

The Tigers were 7-3, 1-1 and 8-2 overall during Quinn's three seasons, including 10-1 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The program has enjoyed its most success since the mid-1990s.

“Coach DeMasi has played a key role in turning the page for Savannah State football over the last few years,” Mashariki said in a statement. “At this crucial juncture, we put our full trust in his ability to lead the program through this transition.” 

Quinn, whose resignation is effective Dec. 7, had served the 2018 season as the Tigers' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach before becoming the interim head coach and then head coach. He is reportedly going to join the staff at Virginia Tech, where his close friend Brent Pry was hired as head coach on Tuesday. Pry and Quinn worked together on the staff at Georgia Southern in 2010.

In a show of stability at SSU, DeMasi will be the interim head coach and continue in his other roles. He said all of the assistants have remained with the program and are keeping their titles.

"They're like family to me," he said. "They've all done a great job and continue to do good jobs through the uncertain times. I have no doubt that they'll continue to work and push as if it's going to be us and control what we can control." 

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The first thing he did was meet the team over Zoom, as some players already had left campus and were unavailable in person as students are in final exams. 

On the recruiting trail

The biggest priority now, he said, is recruiting. With the early signing period Dec. 15-17 and the traditional National Signing Day the first Wednesday in February, the coaching staff has been on the road meeting prospects since last week.

"We're going to operate as if we're going to have the opportunity to coach the team next year. That's the only way to look at it," DeMasi said. "Some things are out of our control, but we can control what we do right now. So we'll be on the road recruiting for the next two weeks. A week after that, we'll sit in a dark room for eight to 10 hours a day, putting the recruits on the board, rank them, offering who we want to offer, decide when we want people to visit and operate as if we're getting ready for signing day."

The coaches also have to recruit, in a sense, Tigers already in the program as the transfer portal has been overrun with players looking to explore their options with whatever eligibility they have. DeMasi understands "it is what it is" and takes a firm stance.

"We want the guys that want to be here. That's the most important thing to us," he said. "We feel like we can win with people that want to be here and do things the right way. That's all we're going to focus on."

DeMasi laid out for the players their goals for the remainder of the semester and their time away from campus before returning in January — keeping in condition and being ready to go back to work. He likes the idea of starting spring practice in mid-February after signing day, then focusing on weight training.

He said he wasn't going to make major changes to the playbook while he's in charge.

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"This is what I want to do," DeMasi said. "I think we can get better and progress in the passing game. But I think our concepts and what we do offensively are what we're going to stick by. Defensively, I love what coach (Thomas) Sims does. I don't plan on making any changes. I plan on elevating what we do and making things the best they can possibly be. But I love both our offensive and defensive schemes."

The rise of DeMasi

DeMasi was hired at Savannah State in 2015 as the quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2019 under Quinn. 

He came to Savannah State from Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. During the 2013 season, he was a graduate assistant and worked with the quarterbacks and running backs. He served as co-special teams coordinator in 2014.

The Savannah native was a member of the Georgia Southern football team from 2008-2012, where he went from being a preferred walk-on to earning a scholarship during his senior year. He was named Scout Team Player of the Year in 2011.

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DeMasi earned his bachelor's degree in 2012 from Georgia Southern in general studies with a concentration in education, coaching and business. He earned his master's degree from Shorter in December 2014.

While attending Savannah Christian, DeMasi was the 2006 and 2007 All-Greater Savannah first-team selection at quarterback. DeMasi was 20-5 as a starter, and led the Raiders the second round of the GHSA Class 2A playoffs in 2006 and 2007.

Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz