Mick Durham Retires from Bobcat Basketball Post
3/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Mick Durham, the man with the second-most wins and second-longest coaching tenure in Montana State’s basketball history, retired from that post after 16 years on Monday.
The former Bobcat point guard ends his career with 246 career victories, the most in Big Sky Conference history. He led Montana State to the 1996 NCAA Tournament, only the third in school history, after winning the league’s regular season and tournament titles. He also led the ‘Cats to a conference regular season championship in 2002, along with the school’s first win in the National Invitation Tournament.
“Mick Durham has meant as much to Bobcat Basketball as this program has meant to him,” MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields said in announcing Durham’s decision. “He is a man of high integrity and a coach who poured all of himself into his program. He achieved at a high level over a long period of time at the school he loves. I think that is the strongest statement that can be made on Mick’s behalf. He has affected a lot of lives in a positive way.”
A Bobcat assistant from 1982-90, Durham became Montana State’s 20th full-time head coach in the summer of 1990. His first three squads failed to crack .500, but his 1994-95 team posted a 21-8 record. A year later the Bobcats finished 21-9, and one of MSU’s finest senior classes ever led the team to the Big Sky regular season title with emotional, season-closing triumphs at Eastern Washington and Idaho. MSU roared through the Big Sky Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Championships, where the team trailed eventual National Runner-up Syracuse by only four early in the second half before falling 88-55. Quadre Lollis, the Big Sky MVP that year, remains in the NCAA West Regional record book for his field goal percentage effort in that game.
Three of Durham’s teams posted 20-win seasons, including the 2001-02 squad that was picked to finish last in the league. That squad finished the Big Sky with a 12-2 mark, and after being upset in the league tournament beat Utah State in the NIT. That was MSU’s first-ever win in a national post-season tournament as a Division I school, and was the Big Sky’s first in over a decade. Durham won Big Sky Coach of the Year honors three times.
Durham graduated from MSU in 1979, and completed work on his master’s degree while playing as a senior. The Three Forks product and son of a former Bobcat played nine games as a freshman in 1975-76, then started the remainder of his career. He missed the 1978-79 campaign with a knee injury, but finished the next season with 901 career points and 362 career assists. Durham is fourth in school history in assists and free throw percentage (.816), and was second in both categories upon graduation.
After graduating, Durham accepted the post of head boys basketball coach at Shepherd (Mont.) High School. He returned to the MSU campus in the fall of ‘82 as an assistant Bruce Haroldson, for whom Durham played as a senior. Stu Starner took over for Haroldson the next season, and Durham remained on the Bobcat staff until replacing Starner in the summer of 1990.
Mick Durham
MSU Head Coach, 1990-2006
246-213 Overall
172-54 at home
59-131 on the road
15-28 neutral
124-118 in Big Sky games
MSU Win List
1. Brick Breeden, 1935-54 272-167
2. Mick Durham, 1990- 246-213
3. Ott Romney, 1922-28 145-30
4. Schubert Dyche, 1928-35 110-92
4. Stu Starner, 1983-90 110-95
Big Sky Win List, All Games
1. Mick Durham, MSU 246 ‘90-
2. Bobby Dye, BSU 214 ‘83-95
3. Neil McCarthy, WSU 200 ‘76-85
4. Mike Montgomery, UM 154 ‘79-86
4. Hank Anderson,MS/GU 153 ‘63-74
5. Ron Abegglen, WSU 152 ‘91-99
7. Blaine Taylor, UM 142 ‘91-98
8. Sonny Allen, UN 114 ‘80-87
9. Jim Killingsworth, ISU 109 ‘71-77
10 Stu Starner, MSU 108 ‘83-90
Big Sky Win List, Big Sky Conference Games
1. Mick Durham, MSU 124 ‘90-
2. Bobby Dye, BSU 102 ‘83-95
3. Neil McCarthy, WSU 94 ‘76-85
4. Ron Abegglen, WSU 86 ‘91-99
5. Mike Montgomery, UM 73 ‘79-86
5. Hank Anderson, MS/GU 73 ‘63-74
The former Bobcat point guard ends his career with 246 career victories, the most in Big Sky Conference history. He led Montana State to the 1996 NCAA Tournament, only the third in school history, after winning the league’s regular season and tournament titles. He also led the ‘Cats to a conference regular season championship in 2002, along with the school’s first win in the National Invitation Tournament.
“Mick Durham has meant as much to Bobcat Basketball as this program has meant to him,” MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields said in announcing Durham’s decision. “He is a man of high integrity and a coach who poured all of himself into his program. He achieved at a high level over a long period of time at the school he loves. I think that is the strongest statement that can be made on Mick’s behalf. He has affected a lot of lives in a positive way.”
A Bobcat assistant from 1982-90, Durham became Montana State’s 20th full-time head coach in the summer of 1990. His first three squads failed to crack .500, but his 1994-95 team posted a 21-8 record. A year later the Bobcats finished 21-9, and one of MSU’s finest senior classes ever led the team to the Big Sky regular season title with emotional, season-closing triumphs at Eastern Washington and Idaho. MSU roared through the Big Sky Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Championships, where the team trailed eventual National Runner-up Syracuse by only four early in the second half before falling 88-55. Quadre Lollis, the Big Sky MVP that year, remains in the NCAA West Regional record book for his field goal percentage effort in that game.
Three of Durham’s teams posted 20-win seasons, including the 2001-02 squad that was picked to finish last in the league. That squad finished the Big Sky with a 12-2 mark, and after being upset in the league tournament beat Utah State in the NIT. That was MSU’s first-ever win in a national post-season tournament as a Division I school, and was the Big Sky’s first in over a decade. Durham won Big Sky Coach of the Year honors three times.
Durham graduated from MSU in 1979, and completed work on his master’s degree while playing as a senior. The Three Forks product and son of a former Bobcat played nine games as a freshman in 1975-76, then started the remainder of his career. He missed the 1978-79 campaign with a knee injury, but finished the next season with 901 career points and 362 career assists. Durham is fourth in school history in assists and free throw percentage (.816), and was second in both categories upon graduation.
After graduating, Durham accepted the post of head boys basketball coach at Shepherd (Mont.) High School. He returned to the MSU campus in the fall of ‘82 as an assistant Bruce Haroldson, for whom Durham played as a senior. Stu Starner took over for Haroldson the next season, and Durham remained on the Bobcat staff until replacing Starner in the summer of 1990.
Mick Durham
MSU Head Coach, 1990-2006
246-213 Overall
172-54 at home
59-131 on the road
15-28 neutral
124-118 in Big Sky games
MSU Win List
1. Brick Breeden, 1935-54 272-167
2. Mick Durham, 1990- 246-213
3. Ott Romney, 1922-28 145-30
4. Schubert Dyche, 1928-35 110-92
4. Stu Starner, 1983-90 110-95
Big Sky Win List, All Games
1. Mick Durham, MSU 246 ‘90-
2. Bobby Dye, BSU 214 ‘83-95
3. Neil McCarthy, WSU 200 ‘76-85
4. Mike Montgomery, UM 154 ‘79-86
4. Hank Anderson,MS/GU 153 ‘63-74
5. Ron Abegglen, WSU 152 ‘91-99
7. Blaine Taylor, UM 142 ‘91-98
8. Sonny Allen, UN 114 ‘80-87
9. Jim Killingsworth, ISU 109 ‘71-77
10 Stu Starner, MSU 108 ‘83-90
Big Sky Win List, Big Sky Conference Games
1. Mick Durham, MSU 124 ‘90-
2. Bobby Dye, BSU 102 ‘83-95
3. Neil McCarthy, WSU 94 ‘76-85
4. Ron Abegglen, WSU 86 ‘91-99
5. Mike Montgomery, UM 73 ‘79-86
5. Hank Anderson, MS/GU 73 ‘63-74
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