Texas State Athletics

Entering his 44th season as a coach, Dennis Darnell spent two seasons as the offensive line coach at Texas State in 2012. Darnell came to Texas State after serving as the offensive line coach at Blinn College in 2010 under Brad Franchione. Three of his lineman, including Texas State signee Mike Yoder, earned All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors. Yoder earned First-Team honors and was an Honorable Mention All-America selection.

Darnell went to Blinn after spending three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Northern Colorado.  There, he coached five All-Big Sky Conference players and helped the Bears improve their scoring average by nine points per game and gain an average of 87 yards of total offense between the 2007 and 2008 seasons.  

Darnell also was the offensive coordinator at Missouri State for two years, where he coached six All-Missouri Valley Conference players on offense. The Bears also set seven school records while averaging over 350 yards and 27 points per game each season.  

Darnell went to Missouri State after serving five seasons as the head coach at East Central University in Ada, Okla. There, he was named the 2001 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 6-4 record, their first winning season in the NCAA Division II ranks. He had an overall record of 21-32 and East Central set 43 team and individual school records during his tenure as head coach.

He also was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at New Mexico from 1992-98 under Dennis Franchione and Rocky Long. During his tenure with the Lobos, he led an offensive line that provided blocking for the second and third-ranked scoring offenses in the NCAA Division I ranks, ranked sixth in total offense and set 16 school record. Darnell was named the New Mexico FCA Coach of the Year after the Lobos won the 1997 WAC championship and played Arizona in the Insight.com Bowl game.  

He went to New Mexico after serving a one-year stint as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Utah State and as the head coach at Missouri Western, where he had a 19-23-1 record from 1986-90. His best season came in 1989 when he led the Griffons to a 7-4 mark, their first winning season in the NCAA Division II ranks.  

Prior to that, Darnell was an assistant coach at Drake for the second time in his career, guiding the Bulldogs' offensive line from 1983-1985. He also was an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator  at Drake from 1975-79 when the Bulldogs won games over Big Eight teams Colorado and Iowa State. Darnell coach All-America First-Team tight end Pat Dunsmore and All-Missouri Valley Conference center Dennis McKnight. They went on to enjoy successful careers in the NFL.

In between the two stops at Drake, Darnell was the offensive line coach at Wake Forest in 1980, when he produced All-American First-Team and future NFL offensive linemen Bill Ard, along with an All-ACC lineman and future NFL player Richard Baldinger.

A native of El Dorado Springs, Mo., Darnell graduated from Missouri State in 1969 with a degree in physical education. He was a three-year letterman as an offensive center for the Bears from 1966-68. He then went on to earn his master's degree at Pittsburg (Kan.) State in 1970.  

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1969, Darnell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Missouri Southern while earning his master’s degree at Pittsburg State. Darnell also has coached at Pratt Junior College, Sullivan and Republic High Schools in Missouri and has additional collegiate experience coaching at Wichita State and Southeast Missouri State in his career.  While at Southeast Missouri State, he coached future NFL player Ted Banker.

Darnell and his wife, Karen, have one son, Pete, who is the quarterbacks' coach at Gardner Webb.