Gary Darnell
Encyclopedia
Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football
player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas
and an alumnus
of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football. A long-time defensive coordinator
, Darnell was also previously the head coach
at Western Michigan University
and Tennessee Technological University
, as well as the interim head coach at the University of Florida
and Texas A&M University
.
football team. As a senior in 1969, he earned All-Big Eight Conference
linebacker honors. He earned a bachelor of arts
degree in 1969 and again joined the Oklahoma State football team as a graduate assistant.
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
under the same position.
In 1978, Darnell became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Kansas State University
. Darnell and the new staff turned around a program that went 0–11 in 1977, taking them to the Independence Bowl
in 1982, Kansas State's first bowl appearance.
In 1986, Darnell joined the staff of Al Groh
at Wake Forest University
as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He spent two years with the Demon Deacons
before accepting the same position at the University of Florida
in 1988. In each of his two seasons at Florida, his defenses ranked third nationally and first in the Southeastern Conference
. In the middle of the 1989 season, he took over for his fired predecessor, Galen Hall
, as head coach at Florida, leading the Gators to a 3–4 record over the season's final seven games.
In 1990, he accepted a position under Lou Holtz
at the University of Notre Dame
as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Darnell was replacing Barry Alvarez
, who left to take the head coaching job at Wisconsin. He later joined John Mackovic
's staff at the University of Texas at Austin
as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator in 1992. Two years later, he moved from special teams to defensive coordinator, serving in that position through the 1996 season. He then moved on to become Western Michigan University's head coach in 1997.
by head coach Dennis Franchione
for the 2006 season. Franchione had previously served as Darnell's offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech in 1983 and 1984. Inheriting a team that finished 107th in total defense and 97th in scoring defense, Darnell implemented a quick turnaround, with the 2006 team finishing 37th in total defense and 32nd in scoring defense. A day after head coach Dennis Franchione
resigned, A&M athletic director Bill Byrne
named Darnell the interim head coach. Darnell coached the Aggies in the 2007 Alamo Bowl
, which was Darnell's 12th bowl to coach.
in 1983 where his success as a defensive coach was not duplicated. In his three years with Tennessee Tech, Darnell compiled a 3–29 record.
as head coach. Inheriting a team that finished 2–9 in 1996, Darnell led a six game turnaround to 8–3, the largest turnaround among NCAA teams in 1997. Western Michigan entered the 1998 season with a seven-game winning streak, the fourth-longest in the nation. The 1998 squad finished with a 7–4 overall record. In 1999, the Broncos clinched the Mid-American Conference
West Division title on their way to a 7–5 overall record. The following year, the Broncos repeated as West Division champions with the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation, were ranked as high as 27th in the national polls, and held an eight-game winning streak, the longest at Western Michigan in forty-one years. For his efforts, Darnell was named the 2000 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.
Following the 2000 season, Darnell became a top candidate for several head coaching positions at BCS conference
schools, including the University of Missouri
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, Rutgers University
, and Oklahoma State University. He ultimately signed a five-year extension to remain at WMU. Darnell's last four seasons at Western Michigan were less successful, with the team posting a combined 15–31 record and without a winning season. Darnell was fired after the 2004 season, and the remaining year left on his contract was bought out by the university. Darnell spent the 2005 season out of coaching. His career record at WMU was 46–46.
Several of Darnell's assistant coaches have gone on to be head coaches, including Dennis Franchione
, Gary Patterson
, Bill Cubit
, Jim Knowles
, Dan Enos
, and J. C. Harper
.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football. A long-time defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
, Darnell was also previously the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
and Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, US, a city approximately seventy miles east of Nashville. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute , and before that as Dixie College, the...
, as well as the interim head coach at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
and Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.
College career
Well traveled, Gary Darnell made eleven stops during his 18-year coaching career. As a student, he attended Oklahoma State University as a personal management major and linebacker for the CowboysOklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
football team. As a senior in 1969, he earned All-Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
linebacker honors. He earned a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1969 and again joined the Oklahoma State football team as a graduate assistant.
Assistant and interim head coaching career
In 1971, he was hired on a full-time basis as the linebackers coach. He later joined the coaching staffs at Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
under the same position.
In 1978, Darnell became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. Darnell and the new staff turned around a program that went 0–11 in 1977, taking them to the Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
in 1982, Kansas State's first bowl appearance.
In 1986, Darnell joined the staff of Al Groh
Al Groh
Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...
at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He spent two years with the Demon Deacons
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Originally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
before accepting the same position at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1988. In each of his two seasons at Florida, his defenses ranked third nationally and first in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. In the middle of the 1989 season, he took over for his fired predecessor, Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
, as head coach at Florida, leading the Gators to a 3–4 record over the season's final seven games.
In 1990, he accepted a position under Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Darnell was replacing Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...
, who left to take the head coaching job at Wisconsin. He later joined John Mackovic
John Mackovic
John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup...
's staff at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator in 1992. Two years later, he moved from special teams to defensive coordinator, serving in that position through the 1996 season. He then moved on to become Western Michigan University's head coach in 1997.
Texas A&M
Darnell was hired as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
by head coach Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
for the 2006 season. Franchione had previously served as Darnell's offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech in 1983 and 1984. Inheriting a team that finished 107th in total defense and 97th in scoring defense, Darnell implemented a quick turnaround, with the 2006 team finishing 37th in total defense and 32nd in scoring defense. A day after head coach Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
resigned, A&M athletic director Bill Byrne
Bill Byrne
Clarence William "Bill" Byrne, II is the current athletic director of Texas A&M University, a position he has held since January 2003.-Early life:...
named Darnell the interim head coach. Darnell coached the Aggies in the 2007 Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
, which was Darnell's 12th bowl to coach.
Tennessee Tech
After his success at Kansas State, Darnell was hired as head coach at Tennessee Technological UniversityTennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, US, a city approximately seventy miles east of Nashville. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute , and before that as Dixie College, the...
in 1983 where his success as a defensive coach was not duplicated. In his three years with Tennessee Tech, Darnell compiled a 3–29 record.
Western Michigan
Darnell was hired in 1997 by Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
as head coach. Inheriting a team that finished 2–9 in 1996, Darnell led a six game turnaround to 8–3, the largest turnaround among NCAA teams in 1997. Western Michigan entered the 1998 season with a seven-game winning streak, the fourth-longest in the nation. The 1998 squad finished with a 7–4 overall record. In 1999, the Broncos clinched the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
West Division title on their way to a 7–5 overall record. The following year, the Broncos repeated as West Division champions with the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation, were ranked as high as 27th in the national polls, and held an eight-game winning streak, the longest at Western Michigan in forty-one years. For his efforts, Darnell was named the 2000 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.
Following the 2000 season, Darnell became a top candidate for several head coaching positions at BCS conference
BCS conference
An Automatic Qualifying conference is an athletic conference in NCAA Division I FBS whose champion receives an automatic berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series bowl games...
schools, including the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and Oklahoma State University. He ultimately signed a five-year extension to remain at WMU. Darnell's last four seasons at Western Michigan were less successful, with the team posting a combined 15–31 record and without a winning season. Darnell was fired after the 2004 season, and the remaining year left on his contract was bought out by the university. Darnell spent the 2005 season out of coaching. His career record at WMU was 46–46.
Several of Darnell's assistant coaches have gone on to be head coaches, including Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
, Gary Patterson
Gary Patterson
Gary Patterson is the head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs college football team. He grew up in Rozel, Kansas and played football at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State University. Patterson is married to Kelsey Patterson . He has three sons: Josh, Cade and Blake...
, Bill Cubit
Bill Cubit
-External links:*...
, Jim Knowles
Jim Knowles
Jim Knowles is a head football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator at Duke University. From 2004-2009, he compiled a 26-34 record as head coach at Cornell University....
, Dan Enos
Dan Enos
Dan Enos is the current head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas football team. Enos previously served as running backs coach for the Michigan State Spartans, where he played quarterback 1987-1990.- Playing career :...
, and J. C. Harper
J. C. Harper
J. C. Harper is an American football coach. He currently serves as head coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.-Playing career:...
.
Head coaching record
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- List of Florida Gators head football coaches
- List of Oklahoma State University people
- Oklahoma State CowboysOklahoma State CowboysOklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
- Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
- Western Michigan BroncosWestern Michigan BroncosThe Western Michigan Broncos are a NCAA Division I FBS team representing Western Michigan University. They compete in the Mid-American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football, soccer and tennis; and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field,...
External links
- Biography of Darnell from hawkzone.com by The Topeka Capital-Journal