Durham Earns Third Coach of Year Award
3/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State head coach Mick Durham has been named the Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Durham earned the honor in a vote of the league's eight head coaches.
Durham led Montana State to a second place regular-season finish. The Bobcats were picked to finish last in the preseason poll by the league coaches and media. Montana State finished 9-5 in conference and 14-14 overall. Montana State won its first three conference road games of the season against Weber State, Idaho State and Montana. Montana State won its first five conference games and was 8-2 in league following a 72-62 win over Montana on Feb. 13. Montana State entered the Big Sky Conference Championship in Portland as the No. 2 seed, but lost to Montana in the semifinals 79-67.
"Obviously our team came together much quicker than I thought,'' Durham said. "I think to get Coach of the Year in this league, where it is so balanced is pretty neat. I respect all the coaches in the league and the jobs they did with their teams. There could have been a lot of options this year. There are a lot of neat stories with a lot of different coaches.''
Montana State had missed the Big Sky Championships each of the last two years. The Bobcats finished 6-8 in league in 2003-04, but turned it around with the help of four junior college transfers.
"To have four JC kids come in and do what they did, especially in the conference season, that just tells you we were very fortunate with the kids we recruited,'' Durham said.
This is the third time in Durham's 15 seasons in Bozeman that he has been selected the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. Durham also won the honor following the 1995-96 and 2001-02 seasons. Both of those years, Durham guided the Bobcats to the regular-season title. In 1996 Montana State won the postseason tournament, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Durham, a graduate of Montana State, has more league and overall victories than any coach in Big Sky Conference history.
Durham is 231-198 overall in his career, a winning percentage of .538. He has won 112 Big Sky Conference regular-season games with 97 losses.
Durham has been head coach at Montana State since 1990. He began his coaching career as head coach at Shepherd, Mont., High School from 1980-82. From 1982-90, he was an assistant at Montana State, where he played from 1975-80.
Individual honors were awarded last week. Portland State senior Seamus Boxley was named the Most Valuable Player and the Defensive Player of the Year. Sacramento State junior Jason Harris was tabbed the league's top newcomer, while Freshman of the Year went to Idaho State's
Logan Kinghorn.
Durham led Montana State to a second place regular-season finish. The Bobcats were picked to finish last in the preseason poll by the league coaches and media. Montana State finished 9-5 in conference and 14-14 overall. Montana State won its first three conference road games of the season against Weber State, Idaho State and Montana. Montana State won its first five conference games and was 8-2 in league following a 72-62 win over Montana on Feb. 13. Montana State entered the Big Sky Conference Championship in Portland as the No. 2 seed, but lost to Montana in the semifinals 79-67.
"Obviously our team came together much quicker than I thought,'' Durham said. "I think to get Coach of the Year in this league, where it is so balanced is pretty neat. I respect all the coaches in the league and the jobs they did with their teams. There could have been a lot of options this year. There are a lot of neat stories with a lot of different coaches.''
Montana State had missed the Big Sky Championships each of the last two years. The Bobcats finished 6-8 in league in 2003-04, but turned it around with the help of four junior college transfers.
"To have four JC kids come in and do what they did, especially in the conference season, that just tells you we were very fortunate with the kids we recruited,'' Durham said.
This is the third time in Durham's 15 seasons in Bozeman that he has been selected the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. Durham also won the honor following the 1995-96 and 2001-02 seasons. Both of those years, Durham guided the Bobcats to the regular-season title. In 1996 Montana State won the postseason tournament, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Durham, a graduate of Montana State, has more league and overall victories than any coach in Big Sky Conference history.
Durham is 231-198 overall in his career, a winning percentage of .538. He has won 112 Big Sky Conference regular-season games with 97 losses.
Durham has been head coach at Montana State since 1990. He began his coaching career as head coach at Shepherd, Mont., High School from 1980-82. From 1982-90, he was an assistant at Montana State, where he played from 1975-80.
Individual honors were awarded last week. Portland State senior Seamus Boxley was named the Most Valuable Player and the Defensive Player of the Year. Sacramento State junior Jason Harris was tabbed the league's top newcomer, while Freshman of the Year went to Idaho State's
Logan Kinghorn.
WBB - Montana State vs Portland - Behind the Mic
Friday, March 27
2025 Code of a Champion
Monday, March 23
Spring Football Preview Press Conference
Friday, March 13
WBB - #2 Montana State vs #1 Idaho - Behind the Mic
Thursday, March 12
