Legendary High School and Simpson College wrestling coach Bob “Coach” Darrah passed away Monday, leaving behind a legacy of championships and an impact on students and athletes wherever he went.
The winningest coach in Iowa high school history, Coach Darrah began coaching at Simpson College in 1989, and elevated the program to an 86-25-1 record before retiring in 1995. Current Athletic Director Bob Nutgrass worked with Coach Darrah, and tells KNIA News with all the success the coach had in athletics, that was all a secondary concern for him.
“He really wanted his athletes to grow up and be good human beings. Contribute to their faith, their families, their community, when they got out of Simpson. That’s what he was all about, helping his athletes become great people and that’s what we really loved about Bob.”
Current wrestling coach Nate Hansen tells KNIA News Darrah continues to have a lasting impact on the program, not only with the wrestling room being named after him, but with a mentality instilled today.
““He mentioned that all the only 17 losses he had in his years coaching high school were on him, and the 350 plus dual meet wins were all the boys, so that left the biggest impact on me. Just that he took those losses on himself, and he really cared so much. You could tell that every time you talked to him. Every time you left the room you got a “love you babe” and a good hug so, we’ll miss him.””
Darrah also coached women’s golf for 23 years at Simpson, leading the program to nine Iowa Conference Championships, 15 national tournament appearances, and two national runner-up finishes. To learn more about the legacy of Coach Darrah at Simpson College, tune in to today’s Let’s Talk Indianola.
