Highlight Reel

• Member, Board of Directors — Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)
• Former Head Coach — Duquesne Dukes Women’s Basketball (14 years)
• Coached WNBA standout Korie Hlede (Detroit, #4 overall pick)
• Coached WNBA standout Candace Futrell (Connecticut)
• Former Assistant Coach — New Mexico State, Penn State, Temple, Providence, Rhode Island
• Coached Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Susie McConnell-Serio
• Former Head Coach — Ireland U17 Girl’s Irish National Team

About Coach Durkin

He has lived and breathed the game of basketball from a collegiate perspective for over 30 years. He desires to take his learnings and use them for good; to help student athletes navigate a meaningful path in life.

Before entering the world of college basketball, Dan Durkin started his coaching career living in Northern Ireland from 1980-84 where he headed a Division I men’s professional team in the Irish National League. Durkin’s squads posted a 105-33 record and claimed three national titles under his tutelage. He also headed the girl’s U-17 National Team during the 1983-84 slate.
Once Durkin came back to the United States, he started coaching at the collegiate level right away. In 1984, he became an assistant women’s basketball coach at New Mexico State. Soon after, he was hired by Penn State University as assistant coach from 1985-1993; during which time the Lady Lions had a 181-64 record, made seven NCAA post-season tournament appearances and twice advanced to the Sweet 16. They were consistently ranked among the top-20 nationally and within the top-10 on numerous occasions throughout his appointment. Durkin served as Penn State’s recruiting coordinator during the last six years of his tenure.

Durkin took his D1 coaching career to the next level in 1993 as the head coach at Duquesne University, helping the Dukes achieve University records of most wins in a season, most conference wins, and the school’s highest seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Dan held the record for program wins until 2023, when he was surpassed by head coach, Dan Burt. He led the Dukes for 14 seasons (1993-2007) not only on the court; but in the classroom. During his tenure, his team posted the highest Division I team GPA in 1998 and 1999, as announced by the WBCA. Individually, six Dukes were named to either the CoSIDA National or District 2 Academic team a total of 12 times, while they were lauded as A-10 Academic All-Conference selections a total of 11 times.

Durkin helped to produce two WBNA draft picks in Korie Hlede and Candice Futrell; the first and only WBNA picks to come out of Duquesne. Hlede was Duquesne’s first ever All-American who then went on to be an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock after finishing her professional playing career.

Coach Durkin went on to help Temple University as an assistant coach during the 2008-12 seasons, during which the Owls had four 20+ win seasons, three NCAA Tournament appearances, and a trip to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) Round of 16 in 2012.

Durkin concluded his coaching career at Providence College from 2012-2016 and then University of Rhode Island during the 2017 season. Since then, he has been focused on facilitating many student athlete’s successful transitions from high school to the collegiate court and classroom.