UAF names Durham new men’s head basketball coach
June 8, 2011
907-474-6807
6/7/11
University of Alaska Fairbanks athletics director Forrest Karr announced that Mick Durham has been named the next head coach for the Alaska Nanooks men’s basketball program.
“Mick has significant experience and has been very successful coaching at a high level,” said Karr. “He is the kind of coach that any parent would want their son to play for.”
Durham has spent the past three seasons as an assistant men’s basketball coach at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. During that time the Aggies record was 55-44.
“I'm very excited and looking forward to the opportunity to be the head basketball coach at UAF and competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference,” said Durham. “I was very impressed with the commitment the university is making to basketball on my visit to Fairbanks.”
Durham will take over as the 12th head coach in program history, replacing Clemon Johnson, who coached the Nanooks for the past four seasons and stepped down in May to take a Division I head coaching job at his alma mater, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Prior to New Mexico State, Durham served for 16 years as the head coach at Montana State University. He retired in 2006 with the second-most victories and second-longest coaching tenure in Golden Bobcats school history.
Durham recorded 246 career wins, which ranks first in Big Sky Conference history. He was a three-time conference coach of the year (1996, 2002 and 2005) and led the Bobcats to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. Durham guided the Bobcats to a pair of Big Sky regular season titles (1996 and 2002) and one league tournament championship (1996).
“Mick has earned respect throughout the coaching profession,” said Karr. “Everyone I've spoken with says he is an outstanding coach who is loyal and comports himself with class at all times. It's very clear that he's in coaching for the right reasons.”
Durham was named head coach of the Bobcat program after he spent eight seasons as an assistant coach, 1982 – 1990. Prior to his return to Montana State, Durham began his career as the boy’s basketball head coach at Shepherd High School, in Shepherd, Mont., for two years, 1980 – 1982.
Durham graduated from Montana State with a bachelor’s degree in 1979 and a master’s degree in 1980 following a successful Bobcat career as a point guard. Durham finished his career with 901 total points and 362 assists. Durham is fourth in MSU history in assists and free throw percentage (.816), and he ranked second in both categories when he graduated.
Durham is familiar with Fairbanks, having brought Montana State to the BP Top of the World Classic in 1999 and 2005.
“I have fond memories of my two trips to the Top of the World Classic and the excitement it created and all the community involvement it took,” said Durham. “I saw the potential the UAF program has.”
Durham has already decided to retain Nanooks’ Assistant Coach Eric Stang.
“I am very appreciative of what Eric has done for the program in a short time in Alaska and I look forward to working with him,” said Durham. “I've known Eric for some time. He has paid his dues in this profession and really grown. I believe we can really work well together.”
Durham will be available to meet with the public at 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, in the Nanook Lounge. Durham’s final terms of employment are subject to a background check.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Forrest Karr, UAF director of athletics, at 907-474-6812 or via e-mail at forrest.karr@alaska.edu.
ON THE WEB: Photo of Durham available for download at www.uafnews.com/uncategorized/mick-durham-portrait