Nancy Darsch facts for kids
Nancy Darsch in 2011
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| Biographical details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | December 29, 1951 Plymouth, Massachusetts |
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| Died | November 2, 2020 (aged 68) Plymouth, Massachusetts |
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| Alma mater |
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| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1985 | Tennessee (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1997 | Ohio State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | New York Liberty | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Washington Mystics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Minnesota Lynx (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Boston College (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | Seattle Storm (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| WNBA Champion (2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nancy Darsch (born December 29, 1951 – died November 2, 2020) was an American basketball coach. She coached women's teams at both the professional and college levels. Nancy was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She graduated from Springfield College in 1973. She also earned a master's degree in physical education from the University of Tennessee. In 2014, Nancy Darsch was honored and added to the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Contents
Nancy Darsch's Coaching Journey
Nancy Darsch started her coaching career at Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts. From 1973 to 1978, she coached basketball, softball, and field hockey there.
College Basketball Coaching
From 1978 to 1985, Nancy was an assistant coach for the Lady Vols at the University of Tennessee. She worked under the famous head coach Pat Summitt. During this time, the Lady Vols made it to the Final Four five times.
In 1985, Nancy Darsch became the head coach at Ohio State University. She led the Buckeyes for 12 years. Her teams won four Big Ten Conference Championships. They also played in the NCAA tournament seven times. In 1993, Ohio State had a great season with 24 wins and only 4 losses. They won the Big Ten Championship and reached the NCAA final game. They narrowly lost to Texas Tech, 84–82. Overall at Ohio State, her coaching record was 234 wins and 125 losses.
Later, in 2006 and 2007, Darsch was an assistant coach at Boston College. She helped the Eagles achieve a 33–27 record. They also earned a spot in the post-season WNIT.
Olympics and USA Basketball
After 1984, Nancy Darsch became a part of USA Basketball. She served as an assistant coach for the USA Women’s Olympic Basketball team. She helped the team win gold medals at two Olympic Games. These wins were in 1984 (Los Angeles) and 1996 (Atlanta).
Winning Gold at the William Jones Cup
In 1984, Darsch was an assistant coach for the US team at the William Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan. The team was very strong, as it was made up of players expected to be in the Olympics. They won all eight of their games and took home the gold medal. The USA team was led by Cheryl Miller, who was a top player in scoring and rebounding.
Success at the World University Games
Nancy Darsch was also an assistant coach for the US team at the World University Games in Sheffield, England in July 1991. The USA team started with a powerful offense, scoring over 100 points in their first four games. They even beat the USSR team 106–80. In the gold medal game, they defeated Spain 88–62. Ruthie Bolton was the highest scorer for the USA team.
Bronze at the FIBA World Championship
In 1994, Nancy Darsch was an assistant coach for the USA National team at the FIBA World Championship for Women in Sydney, Australia. The USA team won their first five games by large margins. They faced a tough challenge against Brazil in the semifinal and lost a close game. However, the USA team bounced back to win the bronze medal against Australia.
Professional Basketball Coaching
Nancy Darsch started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's first season in 1997. She was the head coach for the New York Liberty. She led the Liberty to a 17–11 season. The team made it to the WNBA final, but lost to the Houston Comets. She coached the very first WNBA game on June 21, 1997, where the Liberty beat the Los Angeles Sparks 65–51. In her two seasons with New York, she had a record of 36 wins and 24 losses.
In 1999, Darsch became the head coach for the Washington Mystics. After two seasons, she worked as an advance scout for the team. From 2003 to 2005, she was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx. Her total WNBA head coaching record was 57 wins and 57 losses over four seasons.
Darsch joined the Seattle Storm as an assistant coach from 2008 to 2013. In 2010, she helped Head Coach Brian Agler lead the Seattle Storm to win the WNBA Championship. They defeated Atlanta in three games.
Later Life and Legacy
After her coaching career, Nancy Darsch also worked as a substitute teacher for Plymouth Public Schools. She passed away on November 2, 2020, at the age of 68. She had Parkinson's disease.
