Kornacki: Durkin a Dynamic Addition to Team 136
1/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- D.J. Durkin, Michigan football's new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, has risen through the coaching ranks quickly by developing into a premier recruiter, communicator, motivator, technician and teacher.
Durkin, 36, also is demanding and likes to push the envelope for an edge. He said the Wolverines will play both 4-3 and 3-4 defensive fronts in order to make it more challenging for offenses to prepare for them.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh hired Durkin at Stanford in 2007 as a defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator. And together they returned the Cardinal to prominence.
Now, with Durkin coming off a season as coordinator of the University of Florida's highly rated defense, he's reunited with Harbaugh.
"We've got the most competitive guy in the world as the head coach," Durkin said, "and I'm right there behind him."
Durkin, who led the Gators to victory over East Carolina as the interim head coach in the Birmingham Bowl on Saturday (Jan. 3), didn't hesitate when Harbaugh asked him to join the Wolverines.
"I just said, 'Yes, done deal,'" said Durkin. "Coach Harbaugh is a great guy to work for. I worked three years with him at Stanford. Obviously, when I heard the rumors I was hoping. And when I got the phone call, I was thrilled.
"It's a dream come true. Michigan stands for class. It stands for winning and winning the right way."
Durkin was first connected to Harbaugh eight years ago by another coach interviewing at Stanford.
"I think our personalities kind of matched up," said Durkin. "I didn't know him at all previously; he didn't know me. It didn't take us long in the interview to hit it off."
They coached together from 2007-09, and took Stanford from a 1-11 record in 2006 to a Sun Bowl win and 8-5 record in 2009. Harbaugh went 12-1 there in 2010 before becoming the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
"He influenced me unbelievably," Durkin said of Harbaugh. "I learned a ton from him. The confidence and vision he carries is contagious to those around him. He's an unbelievable leader. He took a group of guys at Stanford who were 1-11 and had us all believing we could beat anyone in the country. And we beat the No. 1 team in the country that year."
Stanford was a heavy underdog to Southern Cal, ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll when they met on Oct. 6, 2007. But the Cardinal scored 17 fourth-quarter points for a 24-23 upset.
Durkin's defensive ends helped Stanford rank 11th nationally in sacks per game in 2007 and 2009. And his kickoff return unit averaged 27.5 yards per attempt in 2009 to lead the Pac-10 while ranking third nationally. Stanford's kickoff and punt coverage units both ranked in the top three in the Pac-10 in his final season there.
"My players will tell you that I'm very high energy," said Durkin. "I'm on them and coach them hard on the field. I'm very honest and truthful with them. Guys will know where they stand at all times, and I think guys might take that wrong at first. But in the long run, they respect that to know they are getting a real evaluation of what they've got to do to get out on the field."
The Wolverines were solid by ranking third in the Big Ten in total defense with 311.3 yards allowed per game in 2014. However, they ranked last in both interceptions made (five) and turnovers recovered (10).
"Turnovers are something we emphasize first and foremost with our defense," said Durkin. "I think it's the most telling stat in football. You can see wins and losses correlate with turnovers.
"There are a lot of things they've done really well here, and we need to continue those and improve on others."
Durkin said he'll employ both the 4-3 defensive front used by Michigan in 2014 and a 3-4 front as well.
"We'll be multiple," Durkin said. "We'll play both a 3-4 and a 4-3. How much we play of each will depend on our personnel -- what I feel fits us best. But we'll definitely be multiple -- week to week we'll carry both fronts into the game.
"That's always been part of what we've done defensively. I think it presents problems for an offense to prepare for. We have some simple ways to get in and out of it that doesn't make it complicated on our guys but makes it a problem for offenses."
Durkin has evaluated videotape of his new players.
"I'm excited about it," Durkin said. "I think we can put a good group out there. Just the past couple days, meeting and getting to know these guys, I think they'll do just fine learning what we're going to do. They seem very ready and willing, and I'm excited about that."
Durkin was named Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com in 2012 after personally recruiting five of the top 250 players in the country, according to that recruiting website.
"You've got to be relentless at it," Durkin said of recruiting. "Whatever you are doing, you better have a passion for it, and you better be relentless. You've got to do it as a staff and as a group. The year I got named that, we signed some really good players, great players. But there were a lot of people that they go in and revolve with."
Durkin was a two-time captain at Bowling Green, where 28 of his 131 career tackles were behind the line of scrimmage. He played defensive end and outside linebacker (1997-2000), and led the Falcons in sacks as a sophomore. He won the Ken Schoeni Award for character and toughness, the Carlos Jackson Award for personifying the values of a student-athlete and the Leadership Award.
He stayed at Bowling Green as a graduate assistant to the Falcons' new head coach, Urban Meyer, in 2001-02. And it was Meyer who brought him to Florida in 2010.
"He's been great to me," Durkin said of Meyer. "He was the first coach I ever worked with. I learned a ton from him, and I can't wait to go out and compete."
Michigan will host Meyer and Ohio State in the 2015 regular-season finale on Nov. 28. Between now and then, Durkin will assist Harbaugh in trying to build a Big Ten championship team.
"This is where you want to be at," said Durkin, "a place where expectations are high. I understand what the traditions are at the winningest program in college history."
• Durkin Hired as Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers Coach
