How Walsh Jesuit’s Nick Alexander Built a Powerhouse — With His Wife Darcy Pushing Him Every Step of the Way

The Warriors’ rise from a 1–9 season to three straight regional finals is as much a family story as a football one, anchored by a coach who believed — and a wife who believed even more

Walsh Jesuit football coach Nick Alexander looks on during warmups as the Warriors played St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. / Jeff Harwell, SBLive Sports

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Walsh Jesuit football coach Nick Alexander looked for his wife Darcy and the two embraced for a hug and a kiss at Conway Memorial Stadium Friday night after Walsh had defeated Austintown-Fitch, 42-21, in the Division II, region 5 regional semifinals.

With 24 straight home wins, Alexander has celebrated all of them with his wife

While the two share this moment after every Walsh Jesuit game, the hugs and kisses after a win on the home field just mean a little more as Nick has guided the Walsh football team to 33 wins at Conway in his seven seasons at the helm, Friday’s being the 24th victory in a row in front of the home crowd.

“I can't really explain it,” said Darcy of the feeling she gets after every Walsh game. “I'm always very nervous. When (a win) happens, I feel like I can finally let my guard down, and I'm just happy he is happy.”

But don’t be fooled – Darcy is happy too.

Darcy Alexander is championship coach in her own right

After all, this is her home, a place where Nick is still sometimes referred to as ‘Darcy’s husband’ in the hallways of Walsh Jesuit, as Darcy helped lead the Warriors to an undefeated season and a Division I state title in soccer in 2006.

“This place is special, and she did her thing here, and that's something that I can't overshadow yet,” Nick said. “I hope one day that can happen.”

It’s that playful banter between the Alexanders that had Nick shaking his head before the game when he came out of the locker room during warmups only to see Darcy unzip her jacket and reveal her attire for the evening - a custom t-shirt with multiple pictures of Nick on it, something that a couple of the coach's wives did for Friday's game.

“She never does anything like that,” Nick said, laughing. “Normally it's more, I'm Darcy's husband, so I'm surprised she's not wearing her state championship soccer shirt. That was nice, because, again, most of the time she puts me in my place.”

In a way, it was because of Darcy putting Nick in his place that the Alexanders have been able to enjoy moments like the one they shared at Conway on Friday night.

Following Darcy's vision for Walsh Jesuit

When the Walsh job was open in 2019, Nick was content where he was, being the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at John Carroll University.  So who could blame him if he wasn’t really looking at Walsh? After all, the Warriors had just finished 0-10 in 2018, 2-8 in 2017 and 1-9 in 2016.

But Darcy had a vision.

The 2007 Walsh Jesuit graduate knew that the Walsh job could be a good one, as she had walked the halls and saw the memories of years past, when Walsh won the state title in 1999, were state runner-up in 1998 and went to the state semifinals five times in seven seasons from 1993-99.

“I saw Walsh when it was a really good program,” Darcy said. “Then when (Nick) was at John Carroll, I could see where (Walsh) was at, not a good program, but I just knew he could turn it around.”

The husband has turned the wife’s prophecy into reality.

The Warriors went 1-9 in Alexander’s first season, and then 5-2 in his second season in 2020, which was the COVID-19 year. They made the postseason in 2020, setting up a run of six straight playoff appearances.

Alexander has restored Jesuit's glorious past

In his seven seasons, Alexander has turned Walsh back into one of the top programs in Northeast Ohio, going 61-19 (60-10 the past six years) and has now had the Warriors in the regional finals four times, three in a row.

While it is Nick Alexander’s name on the door to the football office and he is the one who gets the credit, he knows the job isn’t done alone, giving credit to the kids he has coached and the assistants who have stood by his side, too many to name without accidentally leaving someone out.

“It's a team effort,” Alexander said. “I'm blessed to have unbelievable kids, and I'm blessed to have an unbelievable coaching staff. Those guys don't get enough credit. It takes a village and the support from the administration to let us do what we do has been special.”

Overcoming the doubters

One of the things that motivates the Alexanders is the doubt that was shown to Nick when he started pondering the possibility of taking the job back in 2019.

“I had family members, my in-laws, tell me that I was crazy for taking this thing on,” Nick said.  “I work every day to prove them wrong.”

But Nick knew he could take on the job because the one person he needed on his side was there with a louder voice than all the others combined as Darcy was his biggest supporter and cheerleader during the process. It’s something she looks back on now and smiles.

“It feels like a win to me because so many people told Nick not to touch the program,” Darcy said. “I was the one that said, ‘you can do it, I know you can.”

It’s also a win for Darcy because she is getting to do something not many people do – she is living her childhood dream. While Nick is coaching at her high school alma mater, Darcy teaches and is an assistant principal at her elementary school – St. Hilary – and the couple still lives close to her family.

One time flight delays were a good thing

The couple, who met by chance while both dealing with flight delays at the airport in Nashville, were married in 2018 and have welcomed four children - Riley (6 years), Mack (4 years), Beau (2 years) and Nash (4 months).

“I make fun of us but it's honestly my dream life,” Darcy said. “Not a lot of people can say that, so I feel silly saying that. I can't put into words how special it is what he's done here. I really can't, it's so much fun.”

For those who only see the intense side of Nick Alexander while he is roaming the sidelines on Friday nights or leading practice throughout the week, Darcy sheds light on a more relaxed side of her husband.

Nick and Darcy Alexander, along with their three children, are living their "dream life" as Nick is leading Walsh Jesuit football to new heights in Ohio. / Darcy Alexander/Facebook

At home, the intense coach is 'Mr. Fun'

“Nick is Mr. Fun dad, plays all the time, non-stop, he is on the ground, playing,” said Darcy of how Nick is when at home with the kids. “I would say at home, he is 90 percent fun, 10 percent serious. But with our kids, they can't tell (when he is serious), so he's definitely all fun with our kids.”

On the field, Alexander is all business

When it comes to football, Nick gets back to being serious because the job isn’t done just yet.

He knows that advancing to the regional final means another meeting with rival Archbishop Hoban, who has ended the Warriors’ season in the regional finals in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and holds an 8-1 record against Alexander in his time at Walsh, the lone win for the Warriors coming in last year's regular season meeting.

A showdown looms with Archbishop Hoban

“This is the one that everybody wants to see,” Alexander said of the regional final against Hoban, which will be played at Bedford Stadium at 7:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 21. “It's something that you train year-round for, so we're excited for the opportunity.”

If Alexander and the Warriors can get past Hoban, they would be just two more wins from cementing his legacy and putting a banner up at Walsh, which would match the one Darcy has hanging in the gymnasium.

“I'm still going to be Darcy's husband around here until we hang a banner,” Nick said, looking at Darcy and smiling. “I'm okay with that.”

Until then, Darcy’s husband will be making his trips to Dunkin’ on Saturday mornings because the kids need donut holes, and his wife needs her iced latte and hot coffee.

And for Nick Alexander, there is nothing he would rather be doing.

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