Former men’s basketball head coach and national title winner, Dave Darnall will be honored for his service and commitment to Eureka College.
Darnall worked at Eureka College for 30 years and was head coach for 20 of those years.
The newly renovated, state-of-the-art basketball court, inside the Reagan Athletic Complex, will be dedicated as the Dave Darnall Basketball Court during a special ceremony on Jan. 16. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the Red Devils’ 3 p.m. home game against Blackburn College. Current and former players, coaches and fans will be in attendance.
“I never knew it would happen,” Darnall said. “The thing I’m most pleased about is that I’m alive and able to see it and enjoy it with my family and five grandkids.”
Darnall led his final team to the top, winning the NAIA Division II National Championship in 1994. His teams made it to the NAIA playoffs 13 times and he holds the record at the college for most wins, at 383.
“The guys on my very first team know the guys on my very last team, and they are all very close,” Darnall said. “So that Championship pennant isn’t just for the team, but for all of my guys in 20 years as coach. Because that’s what no other college has, the closeness of all the players. That’s what makes this so special.”
Darnall was also invested in the community, running summer basketball camps at Eureka College.
Richard Sanders, professor Emeritus at Eureka College, donated the flooring for the Dave Darnall Court.
Athletic Director, Steve Thompson, said the new floor will not only bring more people to campus but help with recruiting the next generation of Red Devil students.
“During his tenure, Coach Darnall made an incredible impact on Red Devil Athletics and Eureka College,” Thompson said. “In the basketball world, naming a court is a tribute to excellence both on and off the court, and Coach Darnall exemplifies that excellence at Eureka College. It is an honor to name the court after one of the giants of Eureka College Athletics.”
http://www.eureka.edu/news/basketball-court-dedication/
Photo Courtesy Eureka College
