Darrell Kingery joined Clarksville Community Schools in 1984 after nine years at Benton Central High School, where he taught general science, biology, and physical education and coached football, track and cross country.
It was at CHS, where he also taught high school science, that Kingery built a legacy in Southern Indiana. He would coach cross-country for 25 years and track for 26, earning multiple state recognitions and coaching his student-athletes to accolades and titles along the way.
Kingery retired from teaching after the 2010/11 school year but did not retire from coaching; He went on to coach cross country and track and field at Silver Creek High School until his passing last November.
In his coaching career, Kingery led Silver Creek’s boys’ cross country teams to four sectional titles and the boys’ track and field team to a pair of sectional championships. Kingery’s Dragons broke Jeffersonville High School’s 43-year track sectional championship streak in 2014. At Clarksville, he coached Tracy Alexander to the 300-hurdles state championship in 1988 and Amanda Bell to the cross country state championship in 1998 and the 1999 1,600-meter track title. Kingery was a News and Tribune Coach of the Year finalist after leading the Dragons to their first track sectional title in 2014.
Coach Kingery was loved by all who knew him and changed the lives of his students and athletes in the classroom and on the field.
On Thursday, May 4, the Clarksville High School track, where Kingery spent so many afternoons with his student-athletes, was named after the late coach.
ABOVE: Choir instructor for CHS and CMS Emily Stewart sings the national anthem before the dedication ceremony. Photo by CCSC.
ABOVE: Renaissance Academy Director Brian Allred, a longtime friend and colleague of Kingery, speaks regarding the late coach’s character and legacy. Photo by CCSC.
ABOVE: Sheila Kingery, Darrell’s wife, addresses the crowd. Photo by CCSC.
ABOVE: Kingery’s family hugs as they look at the new sign dedicated to the late coach. Photo by Tyler Stewart of the News and Tribune.