Wrestling legend Bob Darrah, who won 95 percent of his dual meets, has died

Bob Darrah never wrestled a match, but he became one of the sport's greatest coaches.

Darrah, who died Monday at age 89, left a legacy in Iowa high school and college wrestling that has carried on through several generations of athletes and coaches.

He didn't compete in the sport as an athlete. His high school and college didn't offer that sport when he was a student. He had a state-best winning percentage of .950 in dual meets at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic, Morning Sun and Urbandale.

Darrah's career mark was 340-17-2. He won four state traditional team titles and three dual team crowns at Dowling. His last championship came in the 1989 dual tournament.

A fiery competitor, Darrah became an elder statesman for the sport, who would walk into a wrestling room wearing overalls in his later years.

"I always liked to fight," Darrah told the Indianola Record-Herald earlier this year. "I like to compete. If it was marbles, I wanted to beat you in marbles."

He also coached Simpson College's wrestling and men's and women's golf programs after his high school days.

His passing, along with that of former Waterloo West Bob Siddens earlier this fall, brings about the closing of a chapter of Iowa high school wrestling. Siddens ranks second behind Darrah with a winning percentage at .923 for coaches who won more than 300 dual meets.

Visitation for Darrah will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. A memorial service will be held at Simpson at a later date.

His impact is still being felt at the high school and college level, where his coaching disciples are running programs.

"He's been a mentor to so many people over the years," said Alan Beste, the executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. "There's a ripple effect. At its center is Bob Darrah. It's immense what he's done for wrestling."

Darrah went 269-12-1 in 20 seasons at Dowling.

The Maroons won 136 consecutive dual meets from 1986-92, a span that stretched between Darrah and Ron Gray, who previously wrestled under him.

Gray said Darrah's passion for wrestling was apparent.

"Every time he talked about it, he would start crying," Gray said. "He was a coach, he was a mentor and a darn good friend."

Darrah coached 146 state qualifiers at Dowling that won a combined 22 individual championships.

He was named national coach of the year in 1988 and was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame (1991) and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2006).

At Simpson, he earned Iowa Conference coach of the year honors 12 times. Eleven of those awards were in women's golf, where he led the team to three National Golf Coaches Association runner-up titles in 23 years. His wrestling teams went 86-25-1.

Beste said Darrah will be remembered as a man of great character. While he sought victories, his everyday accomplishments involved making young people better.

"It wasn't about wins and losses, it was about developing young people into someone who was successful," Beste said.