Assistant coach of national powerhouse Oklahoma State returns to home state as the 10th head coach of the Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State has hired Donnie Darr as the head coach of the men’s golf team, Heather Lyke, Associate Athletics Director and golf sports administrator, announced Saturday. Darr will be just the 10th men’s golf coach in the 88-year history of the program.

“It is a huge honor to be chosen as the next head coach of the Ohio State men’s golf team and to follow a legend like Coach Jim Brown,” Darr said. “The Ohio State University has a rich tradition in college golf and I am eager to build on it.”

“We are thrilled to have Donnie Darr as the next leader of our men's golf program,” Lyke said. “Donnie's leadership style, competitive passion, ability to teach and enhance our student-athletes' game and strong Ohio ties make him the ideal choice for our next head coach at Ohio State.”

“We would like to thank all the alumni, student-athletes and athletic department staff who provided their insight during the selection process,” she added.

Darr returns to his home state from national powerhouse Oklahoma State, where he served as assistant coach for the last three seasons. While with the Cowboys, the team extended their record of consecutive NCAA Championship appearances to 63, while placing fourth in 2008 and advancing to the match play portion of the event this season after leading the field in stroke play.

Each of the last two seasons, Darr helped Oklahoma State nab the top recruiting classes. Among them were Rickie Fowler, the 2008 College Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and a two-time First Team All-America honoree, and Morgan Hoffmann, the 2009 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-America selection and the Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Year. 

Prior to Oklahoma State, Darr gained experience as the head coach at the University of Akron in 2005-06. During his season with the Zips, he began to rebuild the program and ended the team’s nine-year tournament victory drought. Brad Wright, redshirt senior-to-be and Buckeye tri-captain, and Vaughn Snyder, who just concluded his Ohio State career and is playing in the upcoming U.S. Open, both played under Darr’s direction their freshman season.

A 1996 Kent State graduate, Darr began his coaching career at his alma mater. He was the assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams in 2001-02, and was promoted to associate head coach of both programs from 2002-04. Darr also served as assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma during the 2004-05 season.

A standout golfer with the Golden Flashes, Darr was a four-time First Team All-Mid-American Conference honoree from 1993-96 and was chosen as the MAC Sportsman of the Year in 1996. He earned Third Team All-America honors as a junior and also received the Merle Wagoner Award as a senior, given to Kent State’s outstanding senior male athlete. Darr was inducted into Kent State's prestigious Varsity "K" Hall of Fame in 2004.

After college, Darr toured as a professional golfer for one season (1997-98) before serving four years as an assistant golf professional in northeast Ohio at Windmill Lakes Country Club in Ravenna and Lakewood Country Club in Westlake.

Darr and his wife, Tina, also a Kent State graduate, are the parents of triplets (Allie, Anna and Leo) as well as their daughter, Lucy.

“My wife, Tina, and I are very excited to be moving home,” Darr said. “I am fortunate to have my dream job and be able to raise my family in Columbus.”