Linc Mitchel Darner (born December 12, 1970) is an American basketball coach and former men's basketball coach of the

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay (UW-Green Bay, UWGB, or Green Bay) is a public university in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with regional campuses in Marinette, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan. Founded in 1965, it is part of the University of Wiscons ...

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

. Darner previously spent nine seasons as the head coach at DII

Florida Southern College Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. The college offers 50 undergradu ...

and four seasons at

Saint Joseph's College (Indiana) Saint Joseph's College (SJC; colloquially, Saint Joe) is an unaccredited private Catholic college in Rensselaer, Indiana. It was founded in 1889 and suspended academic operations in 2017 with approximately 1,100 students enrolled. In 2021, the c ...

. In 2015, Darner's Florida Southern Moccasins finished 36–1 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship. Darner was named the 2015 NABC UPS DII National Coach of the Year. Darner took over at Green Bay after Brian Wardle left in 2015. In his first season, he led the Phoenix to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. Darner was fired on May 17, 2020, after posting a 17–16 record in 2019–20.

Playing career

Darner played high school basketball at Highland High School in

Anderson, Indiana Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson ...

. He then went on to

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...

, where he played four years under legendary

Boilermakers A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dep ...

head coach

Gene Keady Lloyd Eugene Keady (born May 21, 1936) is an American basketball coach. He is best known for his 25 years serving as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue University in Indiana. In his tenure leading the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, he went ...

. Darner was named team captain as a senior in 1993–94, leading the Boilers to a

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

championship and a trip to the

Elite Eight In the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Divis ...

Personal life

Darner received his bachelor's degree in management from

in 1995. He and his wife, Kristen, have one daughter, Layne, and one son, Tate. Linc is the son of Alan and Diane Darner. He has two sisters and a brother. His older sisters are named Amy and Kim. Kim played college basketball at Indiana State. Linc's younger brother Tige was also an Indiana All-Star and played collegiate ball at Appalachian State. Linc is the uncle of

Sean McDermott Sean Michael McDermott (born March 21, 1974) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2001, ...

, who is currently on the

Memphis Hustle The Memphis Hustle are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in the Greater Memphis suburb of Southaven, Mississippi, and are affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team plays their home games at the Landers Ce ...

roster.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darner, Linc 1970 births Living people American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Ashland Eagles men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Ohio Basketball players from Ohio College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Florida Southern Moccasins men's basketball coaches Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball coaches Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters men's basketball coaches Murray State Racers men's basketball coaches People from Ravenna, Ohio Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball players Saint Joseph's Pumas men's basketball coaches