In new coaching hires, connection to community matters


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LOGAN — While Utah State was looking for the successor for legendary head coach Stew Morrill, one Aggie fan approached then-associate head coach Tim Duryea with a plea of her own.

“I’m really rooting for you,” the Cache Valley resident told him after giving him a hug before a game in the Spectrum. “I put your name in the temple.”

Duryea recalled that experience as athletic director Scott Barnes introduced him at an introductory press conference Monday morning at USU’s Wayne Estes Center, perfectly encapsulating the sense of community behind the hire of a man who has served as Morrill’s assistant for nearly 15 years.

“If you started hearing voices,” Duryea said as he turned toward Barnes with a sly grin, “that was the plan.”

He then turned back toward the audience, with a glimmer in his eye.

“If you’re listening to me today, temple lady: thank you,” Duryea added.

Replacing a head basketball coach is never easy, especially when the new hire comes on the heels of the winningest coach in program history. Barnes and Utah State President Stan Albrecht went to work on a nationwide search of candidates they wanted, making a list of priorities the new coach should have.

It turned out, the right candidate was about 40 paces down the hall from Morrill’s office in the new basketball practice facility.

Former Utah State University Basketball Coach Stew Morrill, left, greets new USU Head Basketball Coach Tim Duryea in Logan, Monday, March 30, 2015. (Ravell Call/Deseret News)
Former Utah State University Basketball Coach Stew Morrill, left, greets new USU Head Basketball Coach Tim Duryea in Logan, Monday, March 30, 2015. (Ravell Call/Deseret News)

“What were we looking for? First and foremost, I wanted a partner,” Barnes said. “Somebody that shared my vision for what our men’s basketball program could be. We certainly have that somebody who understands the unique attributes and how to position this program to win a Mountain West championship, to participate in and win NCAA Tournament games.

“As we went through the process and we talked to Tim throughout this, it was very evident that his conviction and confidence and his plan checked all the boxes that we were looking for.”

A knowledge of the local community was also vital at Utah Valley University, which recently hired former BYU assistant coach Mark Pope to replace Dick Hunsaker as head coach of the men’s basketball team.

Hunsaker was the only coach UVU knew as a Division I program, presiding over the program during its transition from the junior college ranks — the quickest such move in NCAA history. When the former Utah interim head coach announced he would be stepping down in early March, UVU President Matthew Holland and athletic director Vince Otuopal began a search effort even as more than 100 national and international applicants began contacting the university’s athletic department. There were so many candidates, Otuopal said, that the school never publicly solicited applications for the new position.

“We had so many outstanding candidates,” Holland said. “This was a very hard decision because of the quality and the caliber of the people in the running through the very end. If there was anything that pushed (Pope) over the edge, it was two things: the level of fire and enthusiasm he had for UVU and the game … that dovetailed nicely with some tremendous analysis.

“We were very impressed.”

Pope came to Utah County four years ago after one season at Wake Forest, and he quickly became a beloved member on coach Dave Rose’s staff at BYU. He was known for his engaging personality on the recruiting trail, as well as his coaching of the team’s post players and scouting of opponents.

That personality in recruiting, coupled with Utah County high schools’ proclivity for churning out Division I talent on a regular basis, make Pope’s selection to lead UVU a perfect fit, Holland said.

“I think (Pope) brings a lot of magic to that equation. That’s not going to be the sole source of recruiting, but it’s got to be an important source,” Holland added. “Utah in general and Utah Valley in particular has become a mecca of great basketball, and we want to be in the middle of that. We should be in the middle of that, and we should be leading it.”

Otoupal said Pope came in to the hiring process early for UVU, and his selection to the head coaching position was met with overwhelming acceptance — even by his fellow candidates and finalists.

“He was endorsed by a lot of guys,” the athletic director said. “Each one of (his former coaching colleagues) reached out to us on their own, unsolicited. When you get guys like coach (Rick Fox, George Karl) and others, you listen to them. Those were important, but even more important were some of the other assistant coaches around the West Coast Conference and the country who knew coach Pope and still know him well.”

Pope understands the necessity of reaching out to the community, especially for a school like Utah Valley University — whose recent graduates come from the state college, community college and technical school level.


We had so many outstanding candidates. This was a very hard decision because of the quality and the caliber of the people in the running through the very end. If there was anything that pushed (Pope) over the edge, it was two things: the level of fire and enthusiasm he had for UVU and the game … that dovetailed nicely with some tremendous analysis. We were very impressed.

–UVU president Matthew Holland


“There’s a part of UVU that is incredibly welcoming about this university, and we need to really foster that and make that a part of our athletics program and see if we can grow it,” he said. “(Being local) gives me two big advantages. The first is this idea that we already have a lot of relationships here, and because we’ve been coaching here, we get to foster and grow those relationships. We don’t have to start from scratch. … I’m very familiar with the recruiting base in Utah.

“The practical idea is not having to spend time moving, finding new schools and new doctors and dentists; as time sensitive as this job is, that’s a big advantage.”

Duryea felt the same way about his community — Cache Valley — as Pope did about his own. The city of Logan has boosted the Duryea family since moving to town when their oldest two children — college-age twins Tanner and Taylor — were entering kindergarten, and has stuck with them through a roller coaster of good times and bad.

“Last May, my dad passed away, right here in Cache Valley,” Duryea said, holding back tears. “That is something that is a benchmark in my life and today is another great event in my life; I’m honored to be your coach.

“This is home for us. We love it here. We’ve been well-accepted and we have some of the dearest friends in this valley that you could ever hope to have. On a personal level, I would like to thank all the people I have met over the past 14 years and everybody who has made life so great here, even outside of basketball.

“I hope we can continue those relationships as we go.”

The community’s passion for basketball is a major reason Duryea has stayed in Logan for as long as he has — longer than many assistant coaches in the country would spend in one location.

That perseverance paid off Monday.

“I tell recruits that people here love college basketball,” Duryea said. “There is no other place like the Spectrum, when it’s right. It is a great place to live. That is why I’ve stayed — the people, the relationships. My family has been unbelievably happy here, so why would I leave? When you are working for a great guy and are having success, there was no reason to look anywhere else. Those are the reasons I’ve stayed.”

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