Grew up in Normal in the 1950's and served as a bat boy for coach Harold Frye's Illinois State baseball team ... eventually attended and graduated from Illinois State ... Darnell's coaching career has been a trail through small towns and small programs, including Stanford, Gridley, Roseville and Romance ... eventually landed the head coaching position at Eureka College ... led the Red Devils to 3 straight trips to the NAIA Division II National Tournament and won the National Championship in 1994...named NAIA Division II Coach of the Year...won 5 conference titles in his 20 years as head coach...a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches and Greater Peoria Sports Halls of Fame.