Bob Darrah attended Chariton High School and Westmark College and neither school had a wrestling program.

He is a self-taught, self-made, outstanding and successful wrestling coach despite not being tutored or coached in wrestling in high school or college.

Darrah had a career record of 340-17-2 while coaching Morning Sun High School, Urbandale High School, West Des Moines Dowling High School and Simpson College.

In 20 seasons at Dowling, his teams had a 268-12-1 dual meet record while winning four state team titles and three state dual team titles. He had 169 wrestlers qualify for the Iowa state tournament and 12 won state titles.

Darrah was named National High School Coach of the Year in 1988.