Mick Durham

Mick Durham (born February 3, 1957)

Teams coached: Montana State, Alaska Nanooks, Montana State Billings Yellowjackets
Montana State record: 246-213 (.536)
Alaska record^: 92-103 (.472)
Montana State Billings record^: 59-56 (.513)
Overall record^: 397-372 (.516)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1996)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  1  (2002)
  • Big Sky Regular Season Champion:  2  (1996, 2002)
  • Big Sky Tournament Champion:  1  (1996)
  • NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances:  1  (2023)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2018-2023 Montana State Billings
2011-2018 Alaska
2008-2011 New Mexico State (asst)
1990-2006 Montana State
1982-1990 Montana State (asst)

Mick Durham Facts

  • Mick Durham
  • Born February 3, 1957
  • Hometown: Three Forks, Montana
  • Alma Mater: Montana State University (BA, 1979 & MA, 1980)
  • Born in Chicago but raised in Montana, Durham won a Montana Class B state title in 1974 while at Three Forks HS
  • He played basketball at Montana State, starting at PG for head coaches Rich Juarez and Bruce Haroldson
  • First coaching job was at Shepard HS (MT), where he worked for two years before returning to MSU in 1982
  • Spent eight seasons as an assistant under Bobcats’ head coach Stu Starner
    • Was part of one NCAA Tournament (the program’s second-ever in 1986) and one NIT while an assistant
  • Durham was elevated to head coach in 1990 and led the Bobcats for the next 16 seasons
    • Compiled an overall record of 246-213, highlighted by Big Sky titles in 1996 and 2002
    • Led the Bobcats to their third-ever NCAA Tournament in 1996 by winning the Big Sky Tournament
    • Resigned in 2006 after going 54-58 over the previous four seasons
  • After a couple years out of coaching, Durham joined Marvin Menzies‘ staff at New Mexico State in 2008
  • Took over as head coach at D-II Alaska (Fairbanks) in 2011, going 92-103 in seven seasons at the helm
    • After winning just 5 games in his first season, the Nanooks won 16+ games in three of the next four seasons
  • Returned to his home state in 2018, becoming the head coach at D-II Montana State Billings
    • Durham went 59-56 over five years at MSUB (four seasons, as the 2020-21 season was cancelled)
    • Led the Yellowjackets to the NCAA D-II Tournament in 2023, their first bid since 2012
    • Announced his retirement from coaching in March 2023 after more than four decades in the game
  • Along with his wife, Donna, has three children; one son, Casey, played for his dad at MSU

Mick Durham Coaching Tree

  • Luke Fennelly (Montana State Billings)
  • Brad Huse (Montana State, Jamestown College)
  • Danny Sprinkle (Washington, Utah State, Montana State)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels