Mary Haridin-Baylor Athletics

Darla Kirby was named Associate Athletic Director in June of 2012, making the move to a full-time role in administration of the UMHB Athletic Department. Kirby's move to full-time administrator closed out her stellar 16-year run as head coach of the UMHB women's golf team before she returned for an encore in the Spring of 2013 and led the Cru women to a National Championship.

Kirby started the Lady Cru program from scratch in the fall of 1996 and quickly turned the UMHB women's program into one of the top small college golf programs in the country. Kirby guided the Lady Crusaders to the NAIA National Tournament in the program's inaugural season and the UMHB women won the NAIA National Tournament in 2000, only the fourth year of the program's existence. The national championship was also the first in the history of the UMHB athletic department and earned Kirby NAIA National Coach of the Year honors. Kirby has coached the Lady Crusaders to a national tournament berth in 12 of the 16 years of the program's existence. The UMHB women went to the NAIA National Tournament in each of their first four years, made six straight appearances in the NCAA Division III National Championship, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament three straight years from 2011-13 under her direction. The Lady Cru had a streak of four straight national runner-up finishes snapped in 2006. The UMHB women won seven straight ASC Conference Championships and Kirby was named ASC Women's Golf Coach of the Year in each of those seasons from 2000-2006. The Cru then won its eighth and ninth ASC Championships in 2011 and 2012 and earned Kirby ASC Coach of the Year honors in both of those seasons. Kirby coached 17 All-Americans and 54 All-Conference selections during her tenure at UMHB and was a six-time NGCA West Region Coach of the Year. She also helped coach Holly Glover to NGCA Division III National Player of the Year honors in the spring of 2005. She returned as Interim Head Coach of the UMHB Women's Golf team in the spring of 2013 and led the Cru women to the first NCAA Division III National Championship in program history with an eight-stroke victory over U.T.-Tyler. She was voted NCAA Division III Women's Golf Coach of the Year by the WGCA. UMHB also won a third straight ASC title and gave Kirby her tenth league crown and tenth ASC Women's Golf Coach of the Year honor. Kirby returned to full-time administrator duties in the summer of 2013.

Darla Kirby came to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in January 1996. She graduated from Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1978 with a degree in psychology and sociology. Coach Kirby earned her Master's from Baylor University in the fall of 2001. She served on the NCAA Women's Golf Region V Committee from 2000-2002 and was chair of that committee during the 2001-2002 school year. Kirby also served on the NCAA Women's Golf National Committee from 2002-2006 before returning to that committee in 2010-11. She was chair of the national committee during the 2005-06 school year. She currently serves as the Co-Chair for the South Region for the NCAA Division III Football Committee.