Gary Darnell

College coach infobox


Name = Gary Darnell
| Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1948|10|15
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Waldron, Arkansas
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College =
Title =
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 52-80
BowlRecord =
Awards =
Championships = MAC West Division Championship (1999, 2000)
CFbDWID = 529
Player = Y
Years = 1966–1969
Team = Oklahoma State
Position = LB
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1970
1971–1972
1973–1975
1976–1977
1978–1982
1983–1985
1986–1987
1988–1989
1989
1990–1991
1992–1993
1994–1996
1997–2004
2006–2007
2007
CoachTeams = Oklahoma State (GA)
Oklahoma State (LBs)
SMU (LBs)
North Carolina (LBs)
Kansas State (Asst. HC/DC)
Tennessee Tech
Wake Forest (Asst. HC/DC)
Florida (DC)
Florida (Interim HC)
Notre Dame (Asst. HC/DC)
Texas (Asst. HC/ST)
Texas (Asst. HC/DC)
Western Michigan
Texas A&M (DC)
Texas A&M (Interim HC)
FootballHOF =

Gary Brent Darnell (born October 15, 1948) is a former college football coach. A long-time defensive coordinator, Darnell was previously the head coach at Western Michigan University and Tennessee Technological University, and interim head coach at the University of Florida.

College career

Gary Darnell attended Oklahoma State University as a personal management major and linebacker for the Cowboys 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.

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 University 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 each of his two seasons at Florida, his defenses ranked third nationally and first in the Southeastern Conference. In 1989, he took over for his fired predecessor, Galen Hall, as head coach at Florida, leading the team 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. 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.

Texas A&M

Darnell was hired as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M University 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 #107 in total defense and #97 in scoring defense, Darnell implemented a quick turnaround, with the 2006 team finishing #37 in total defense and #32 in scoring defense. [cite web |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/stats/byteam?cat1=defense&cat2=Total&conference=I-A_all&year=2006&sort=1124 |title= Sortable Team Stats: Total Defense |publisher=Yahoo! Sports |accessdate=2007-06-22] 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. [cite press release|url=http://www.aggieathletics.com/pressRelease.php?SID=&PRID=13659|title=Darnell Named Interim Head Football Coach|publisher=Texas A&M Athletics|accessdate=2007-11-24|date=2007-11-24]

Head coaching career

Tennessee Tech

After his success at Kansas State, Darnell was hired as head coach at Tennessee Technological University 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 University 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 27 in the national polls, and held an eight-game winning streak, the longest at Western Michigan in 41 years. For his efforts, Darnell was named the 2000 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year [cite web |url=http://www.vandelaysports.com/football/awards/default.html |title= MAC Football Awards |publisher=VanDelaySports.com |accessdate=2007-11-27] .

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. [cite web |url=http://cgi.cnnsi.com/football/college/news/2000/12/02/unc_search_ap/ |title= North Carolina Interviews New Orleans Assistant Coach |publisher=CNNSI.com |accessdate=2007-07-17] [cite web |url=http://old.irishsports.com/subscription/issues/2000/11/27/rogersmeyer.html |title= Irish Sports Report |publisher= Irish Sports Report |accessdate=2007-07-17] . He ultimately signed a 5-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 [cite web |url=http://hawkzone.cjonline.com/newcoach/bios/darnell.shtml |title= Gary Darnell |publisher=The Topeka Capital-Journal |accessdate=2007-06-22] . Darnell spent the 2005 season out of coaching. His career record at WMU was 46 wins and 46 losses.

Yearly results

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Tennessee Technological University
conf = Ohio Valley Conference
startyear = 1983
endyear = 1985CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1983
name = Tennessee Tech
overall = 2-8
conference = 2-5
confstanding =
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1984
name = Tennessee Tech
overall = 0-11
conference = 0-7
confstanding =
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1985
name = Tennessee Tech
overall = 1-10
conference = 1-6
confstanding =
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Tennessee Tech
overall = 3-29
confrecord = 3-18CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = University of Florida
conf = Southeastern Conference
startyear = 1989
endyear = singleCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1989
name = Florida (interim)
overall = 3-4
conference = 2-2
confstanding =
bowl =
bowlname = Freedom Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Florida
overall = 3-4
confrecord = 2-2CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Western Michigan University
conf = Mid-American Conference
startyear = 1997
endyear = 2004CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1997
name = Western Michigan
overall = 8-3
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 2nd
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1998
name = Western Michigan
overall = 7-4
conference = 5-3
confstanding = 3rd
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = division
year = 1999
name = Western Michigan
overall = 7-5
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 1st
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = division
year = 2000
name = Western Michigan
overall = 9-3
conference = 7-1
confstanding = 1st
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2001
name = Western Michigan
overall = 5-6
conference = 4-4
confstanding = 4th
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2002
name = Western Michigan
overall = 4-8
conference = 3-5
confstanding = 5th
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2003
name = Western Michigan
overall = 5-7
conference = 4-4
confstanding = 4th
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2004
name = Western Michigan
overall = 1-10
conference = 0-8
confstanding = 7th
bowl =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Western Michigan
overall = 46-46
confrecord = 35-29CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Texas A&M University
conf = Big 12 Conference
startyear = 2007
endyear = singleCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2007
name = Texas A&M (interim)
overall = 0-1
conference = —
confstanding = —
bowl = y
bowlname = Alamo Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = no
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Texas A&M
overall = 0-1
confrecord = 0–0CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 52-80
bcs = no
poll =
polltype =

References

External links

* [http://www.aggieathletics.com/coaches.php?SID=MFB&CID=187 Official Bio from AggieAthletics.com]
* [http://hawkzone.cjonline.com/newcoach/bios/darnell.shtml Biography of Darnell] from hawkzone.com by "The Topeka Capital-Journal"