Montana State University lures ‘living legend’ Durham home

Mick Durham coached the men’s basketball team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks for seven seasons prior to resigning on March 28.

Coach Durham decided to take the head coaching job at Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival MSU. “I have accepted the head coaching position at Montana State University Billings and it truly came down to a chance to end my coaching career at home’ Durham told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. “I really enjoyed the challenge at UAF and playing in the GNAC’.

Durham returns to Montana where he’s known as coaching legend due to his 16 years as head coach at Montana State University in Bozeman. It was a no-brainer for him to finish his career in his home state.

Just a few weeks after the Nanooks wrapped up their 2017-18 season with a 69-59 victory coincidently over the MSUB Yellowjacket’s in Billings, it was announced on March 6th that the head coach for MSUB, Jamie Stevens announced his resignation.

“I enjoyed my seven years at MSUB,” Stevens said in a press release from the school. “I was fortunate to work with many great student-athletes that were also very special human beings.’

Once this job opened up there was speculation within the Fairbanks athletic community, as well as the players on UAF men’s team, that Durham would consider taking this coaching opportunity in his home state.

I can speak from experience as a former player for Mick Durham that when the team traveled to Billings, Montana to play against the Yellowjacket’s, half of the fans in the gym were either family or friends of Durham. He was like a local celebrity. It was obvious that this was home for him and he received a lot of support from the community. It came as no surprise that Durham took this opportunity to potentially finish out his career where he’s truly happy.

In an article by KTVQ, Montana’s News Leader, Durham is quoted saying, “I am really excited to be coming home to coach again and can’t wait to get started at MSUB.’

Where this leaves the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s men’s basketball team is not very clear. The players have no clue as to who will be coaching next season. “Our hope is to announce our new coach during finals week,”  interim Athletic Director Kayne Gutierrez said in an interview. “But you know, sometimes plans don’t always go as smooth as you wish they would.

He added: “I have a few candidates that I really like and am waiting on responses from.’

Durham’s relocation hasn’t seemed to cause any bad blood or hard feelings between the coach and former players at UAF.

In the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, sophomore guard for the men’s team Jalon McCullough was quoted: “I mean, I know he coached at Montana State. He’s kind of like a Montana legend.’, he said.

“When he left, he coached here for seven years, so I’m not mad at him or nothing like that–it is what it is. He’s going back home to finish his coaching career there, so I wish the best of luck to him.’

Not only is Durham leaving, but he’s bringing along his assistant coach of four years, Bobby Howard, who’s also a Montana native. The men’s basketball program seems to be going through a total reboot, but they’re not the only Nanook athletic program going through this. Both Nanook hockey and women’s basketball teams are interviewing potential head coaches.

The UAF athletic department is handling these situations to the best of its ability and made it clear to the students, athletes and fans that whatever route they decide to go with hiring a new coach, they assure that the programs will be in good hands.

This is a weird situation for everyone, especially the players since they have no clue as to who will be their coach for next season, with the school year winding down.

From what I’ve seen, nobody is hanging their heads feeling sorry for themselves. They’ve all been putting in the offseason work, getting ready to go to battle regardless of who’s the coach!