Mike Durrill: Learning Quickly

Texas State women’s basketball Director of Player Personnel Mike Durrill had nothing short of a memorable first year as a Bobcat. 

He joined the program in June of 2022 ahead of a 23-win season, a regular season Sun Belt Conference Championship, and the team’s eighth postseason appearance in program history.

To cap it off, Durrill attended the 2023 Marine Corps Recruiting Command Coaches Workshop.

The workshop is run at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and is offered to both college coaches and educators to help them get a firsthand look at what it takes to become a Marine and give an inside look at how marines train. From there, this knowledge is taken back to respective coaches’ schools and applied to their teams.

“When [Texas State Director of Athletics] Don [Coryell] informed our coaches and staff of the opportunity to participate in the Marine’s Leadership program it was within 48 hours that Michael had signed up and was admitted,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said. “Since his return he hasn’t stopped talking about how much that program influenced him and is helping him as a young coach. The excitement is evident.”

The workshop has a lot of hands-on opportunities like team-building exercises, obstacle courses, and even has a 6 a.m. physical training session to give you the full experience of being a marine in-training.

“It was an opportunity to do some things outside of my comfort zone,” Durrill said. “I didn’t necessarily know what I was getting myself into at the start, but we were able to learn a lot very quickly.”

Alongside the strenuous parts of the program, Durrill also got to hear some members of the Marines who are former college players and coaches speak, as well as take a ride in the Martine Helicopter Squadron One MV-22B ‘Osprey’ and learn about some of the Marine Corps athletics programs. There are Marine Corps men’s and women’s basketball leagues, wrestling, martial arts, and more. 

“Part of this workshop is also just about showing what the marines is about,” Durrill said. “It builds an appreciation for the work they do but you also get to see what their lives really look like.”

One of Durrill’s biggest takeaways from this program was the importance of concise communication. Whether you’re in a game or practice, being able to get information to people and have it understood efficiently is invaluable.

“You had to learn to take orders and turn around and give them to someone else quickly,” Durrill said. “Taking in information and making sure people understand it immediately was one of the biggest things they taught us. You don’t have time to ask questions in the Marines.”

In addition to the on-court communication, Durrill has a big role in the off-court side of Texas State women’s basketball. As Director of Player Personnel, he is primarily in charge of video coordination and individual workouts with the athletes. Though every day may look a little bit different, it comes down to making sure things off the court are just as prepared as they are on the court.

“Coach Mike came into our program and has been a great addition to our staff,” said Abi Whitling, Texas State Women’s Basketball’s Director of Basketball Operations. “Especially coming into a new program after leaving on he had been a part of for six years, it can be intimidating. But he did a great job coming in and being a big part of the program.”

Durrill came to Texas State after being with Liberty Women’s Basketball. The North Denver native had started with them as a practice player while he was in his undergraduate program. From there, he became a team manager and eventually a graduate assistant for the program. 

Ultimately, Durrill ended up at Texas State because of assistant coach Paige Love’s connection to the Liberty coaching staff from her time at UNC-Asheville.

“I didn’t directly know Paige,” Durrill said. “But when she was at Asheville she had some ties to our coaching staff and when she saw I was from Liberty she made some calls and ultimately that’s how I ended up here.”

In just a year with the program, Antoine has seen a lot of growth from Durrill, especially since his return from the Marine Corps Leadership Program.

“He’s able to take information and try his best create something positive for our program,” Antoine said. “He brings a new and unique personality and perspective to our program. Being from Colorado, starting in women’s basketball at Liberty University, which is a private institution, and as was a former graduate assistant and scout team member, this all adds to his ability to diversify our program.”

As Director of Player Personnel one of the things he does is working directly with players to help them with whatever they need, on or off the court. His unique background and leadership experience has been key in his role through this first year with the team.