Listen Here
By Monica Crawford
crawfordm3@findlay.edu
On April 13, Michelle Durand, head coach for women’s basketball, announced her retirement after 34 seasons of coaching for the past four years at the University of Findlay. After her unforeseen leave, Bri Sims was appointed to the position on April 20.
Durand’s retirement was unforeseen by her and the team’s players.
“Honestly, it was not in my plan to retire this year, but my assistant was offered a position he could not turn down,” said Durand. “My mom has been ill, and when he decided to leave, rather than try to hire someone new, I thought it was best to retire.”
“I was very shocked and sad,” said MacKenzie Schulz, a junior player on the team. “It was sad to hear that my coach for the past three years was retiring, but I was happy that she felt confident in that decision because I want the best for her.”
The team significantly benefited from Durand’s time coaching at UF.
“I think I am most proud of the progress we made in a short time. The program was not in a good place when I got here, but each year we showed tremendous improvement on and off the court,” said Durand. “We developed a family culture where the players put the team before themselves, worked hard on the court and in the classroom, and contributed to the community in a positive way. Our team GPA was outstanding at 3.6, and we were able to make it to the GMAC semi-finals, losing that game by just one point.”
“Coach Durand has so much passion for the game and cares for our team a ton,” said Schulz. “It was very inspiring to see her competitiveness, passion, and care every day.”
As Durand leaves, she wants the players to know how much she supports them and hopes they continue to cherish each other.
“I want the players to know how much I care about them as people first and foremost. I want them to really work this summer and come back ready to be successful on and off the court,” said Durand. “Finally, I want them to love each other like sisters! Relationships are the most important part of playing college athletics.”
Coach Sims has already had positive interactions with the players, giving them hope for the future seasons.
“Coach Sims’ energy is very contagious and fresh,” said Schulz. “She sounds ready to make an impact, lead, and inspire this team. That is very exciting to hear as a player.”
“Our team’s goal is to have an open mind and buy into her values and coaching,” said Schulz. “After speaking to Coach Sims and hearing more about her, as a team, we are very motivated to work hard this summer and focus on the process.”
