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Debbie Darrah – Texas A&M University, retired

CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award

by Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk writer; past president of Pro Football Writers of America

Debbie Darrah traveled the world for nearly 30 years while working as a sports information director at Texas A&M. Darrah still is traveling the world and watching sports, but having retired in January 2019, now it’s as a fan and for fun.
 
“The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Debbie is: She loves sports,” said Laurie Corbelli, who worked with Darrah during her 25 years as A&M’s volleyball coach. “She loves being involved in sports. She cares about the players and the staff. She cares about the game. She just puts her whole self, her whole heart and her whole life into it.”
 
Darrah is being recognized with a 2020 CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award. The former Texas A&M assistant director of media relations also earned a 2018 CoSIDA 25-Year Award.
 
She isn’t sure where she developed her passion for sports, but she stumbled into a job that allowed her to work at her first love.
 
“I feel so lucky because I had a job I really enjoyed, and I was surrounded by good people who inspired me,” Darrah said. “I didn’t mind going to work most days, and it afforded me so many opportunities.”
 
 
When Darrah went to the University of Texas at Arlington, she never considered a life in sports mainly because she wasn’t aware of the opportunities. Darrah instead earned a degree in business from UTA in 1985 and went to work for a consulting firm. She was making decent money, but it was just a job.
 
“I would go to Dallas Mavericks games after work, and I found myself watching the people working courtside as much as the game,” Darrah said. “I wondered what their role was and thought, ‘I want to do that.’”
 
When Darrah realized there was a Southwest Conference office and it was in Dallas, she cold called the league. She jumped at the opportunity to volunteer at the 1989 SWC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments - and was hooked.
 
“I loved everything about it,” said Darrah, who passed out statistics and helped with interviews. “It was organized chaos behind the scenes, and for whatever reason, I just knew that was what I wanted to do.”
 
Five months later, the SWC office had an internship opening. CoSIDA Hall of Famers Charlie Fiss and Bo Carter, who were doing the hiring, figured Darrah couldn’t afford to take it.
 
“I told them, ‘I want it,’” Darrah said. “They thought I was crazy and asked, ‘Are you sure?’ When I told my boss I was leaving for the SWC, she asked, ‘What will it take to keep you?’ I said, ‘It pays $800 a month.’ There was no response.”
 
Darrah then joined A&M’s four-person staff in November 1990 to oversee volleyball, women’s basketball and softball.
 
“You have to really want to do this to be good at it,” said CoSIDA Hall of Famer Alan Cannon, who has worked in A&M’s communications department more than 35 years. “You’re not getting into the business for the money or the glamour. It’s really a calling that you have of, ‘Hey, I’m OK being behind the scenes; I’m OK promoting other people; I just want what’s best for the team.’ That was the thing that always came across with Debbie is just that. She was a part of all her teams.”
 
Darrah also took time to help at Olympic Festivals, Olympic Games, Pan-American Games and World University Games. Her volunteer work with the USOC and USA Softball took her to five countries. She also went on foreign training trips with Aggie volleyball teams, touring Europe and Japan.
 
Darrah can’t sum up a nearly 30-year career with one favorite memory.
 
“There are so many wonderful memories, so many fun, laughable moments,” Darrah said. “There were unbelievable victories and heartbreaking losses, but it was the relationships, the people surrounding me who made me happy and motivated me.”
 
Darrah witnessed two of her former A&M athletes – softball player Jennifer McFalls and volleyball player Stacy Sykora – compete in the 2000 Olympics in Australia.
 
Two of her Aggie volleyball teams made unpredicted NCAA regional finals appearances, and the 2015 team willed its way to the Southeastern Conference championship. The women’s tennis team made the finals of the 2013 NCAA championship, and she was courtside when the Aggies won the 2011 women’s basketball national championship.
 
“The student-athletes became extended family,” Darrah said. “Whenever people asked me if I had kids, I said, ‘Yeah, a bunch of 18- to 22-year-olds.’ Now, they’re 18 to 50-year-olds. I still keep in contact with many of them.”
 
Darrah met many of her best friends through her work. She regularly travels with CoSIDA Hall of Famer Julie Bennett, who is retired from Baylor, and Joni Lehmann of the Big 12 Conference.
 
“She has what I like to call the three Ps,” Bennett said. “She’s personable; she’s professional; and she’s passionate about her school and her sports. That’s what made her great at her job.”
 
A year into retirement, Darrah cruised the Caribbean and the Greek islands and visited Rome, California, Colorado, Ohio, Las Vegas and the Texas coast. She sees her parents in Spicewood, Texas, at least once a month instead of once a semester.
 
Darrah volunteers as a grant writer for VOOM Foundation, a local nonprofit that completes medical missions to Nigeria twice a year. She foresees accompanying the staff on its next trip in November.
 
In addition to her travels, Darrah looks forward to cheering on the Aggies from the stands. And in the spirit of the 12^th Man, she is willing to leave the stands and help in the press box if needed.
 
“I will be forever grateful for Bo, Charlie and A.C. for taking a chance and giving me an opportunity,” Darrah said. “My job gave me an all-access pass and a front row seat to a lifetime of wonderful memories and friendships.”