Bill Durkin - Offensive Line Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Bill Durkin

Title:
Offensive Line Coach
Email:
Start Date:
01/01/2023

Bill Durkin helped Liberty to unprecedented heights during his first season on the Mountain at Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach in 2023.

Liberty entered bowl season with a perfect 13-0 record and was one of four undefeated teams in the country, joining Florida State, Washington and eventual national champion Michigan.

Durkin helped the Flames to an unblemished 8-0 regular season record in Conference USA and a 49-35 win over New Mexico State in the CUSA Football Championship game.

The team’s success positioned the Flames to receive their first-ever invitation to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game. Liberty squared off against No. 8 Oregon in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on January 1 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Flames’ spread option offense allowed Liberty to finish the 2023 season ranked No. 1 in the country in rushing, averaging 293.3 yards per game. Liberty finished the year rushing for a program-record 4,106 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Additionally, Liberty ranked No. 1 in tackles for a loss allowed (2.64 per game), No. 2 in sacks allowed (0.64 per game), No. 2 in passing yards per completion (16.19), No. 3 in winning percentage (92.9), No. 4 in total offense (499.1 yards per game), No. 4 in first down offense (348), No. 8 in time of possession (33:04) and No. 9 scoring offense (38.3 points per game).

Durkin saw four of his five starting offensive linemen in 2023 earn CUSA All-Conference honors. X’Zauvea Gadlin was a first-team all-conference selection, followed by second-team honors for Jonathan Graham and Jordan White. Xavior Gray was a CUSA All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Following the 2023 season, Gadlin and Graham received free agent contracts with NFL teams. Gadlin signed with the Tennessee Titans, while Graham signed with the Miami Dolphins.

Durkin’s first-year efforts in Lynchburg were individually recognized when he was named to the 2023 Broyles Award watch list, which honors the top assistant coach in the country.

Durkin brought more than 20 years of coaching experience with him to Liberty Mountain when he joined head coach Jamey Chadwell’s staff in 2023.

Durkin has a wealth of coaching experience on his resume, including stops at Coastal Carolina (2014-22), Bowling Green (2010-13), Hofstra (2008-09), Richmond (1997-07) and his alma mater UMass (1995-96).

In 2020, Durkin moved over to coaching the Coastal Carolina offensive line after working with the tight ends and offensive tackles in 2018 and 2019. He coached the running backs for four years from 2014-17 and worked with the PAT and field goal units for five seasons from 2014-18.

Behind a veteran offensive line unit that returned all five starters from 2020’s championship season, the Chanticleers outscored all their opponents 532-281 on the season, including totaling 100-plus points in each quarter on the year in 2021.

Coastal Carolina’s offense was one of only two teams nationally to rank in the top 10 in both third-down conversion (1st) and fourth-down conversion percentage (4th) on the season and one of only two teams in the country to rank in the top 30 in both rushing offense (6th) and passing offense (28th).

The Coastal offense finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally in team passing efficiency (192.01), while behind Durkin’s unit, quarterback Grayson McCall led the nation and set a new NCAA FBS single-season record with a passing efficiency rating of 207.6 on the year.

The offense also finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally in average yards per rush on the season (5.84 ypr) and in third-down conversion percentage (53.8 percent), was second nationally in yards per play on offense (7.74 ypp), and ranked fourth nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage (76.9 percent).

The offense finished the season ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring offense (40.9 ppg) and was one of only five FBS schools to average over 40 points per game on the season.

For their efforts up front, the offensive line was named to the Joe Moore Award watch list for the second consecutive season.

In 2020, the Chanticleers won the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference title, posted an 11-1 overall mark, including an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference record, and played in the program’s first-ever FBS postseason bowl game.

The 2020 season marked Coastal Carolina’s first-ever undefeated regular season and the first time that the Chanticleers were ranked in either the Associated Press Top 25 Poll or the Amway Coaches Poll presented by USA Today Sports.

In 2020, the offensive line was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top offensive line unit, and ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference in both sacks allowed per game (1.17) and tackles-for-loss allowed per game (4.33) on the year.

In 2019, the Coastal Carolina offense recorded over 400 yards of total offense five times, including a season-high 636 yards in the road win at UMass. The Chants were 23-for-29 (79.3 percent) on fourth-down attempts which was the second-best percentage both nationally and in the Sun Belt, while the 23 fourth-down conversions were tied for the third-most nationally behind only Army and Navy with 26.

Durkin’s tight end group in 2019 was led by sophomore Isaiah Likely who was named to the 2019 Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference second team and the 2019 All-Sun Belt third team.

While working with the offensive line and tight ends for the first time at Coastal Carolina in 2018, Durkin contributed to the Chants’ offense that led the Sun Belt and ranked in the top 25 nationally in rushing yards per game, red-zone offense, time of possession, first downs, and both third- and fourth-down conversion percentage for much of the season. CCU finished the year ranked in the top 10 nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage (68.8), fewest penalties (52), fewest penalties per game (4.33), and fewest penalty yards (493).

The 2017 season was Coastal Carolina’s first in the NCAA FBS and Sun Belt Conference, but Coastal Carolina kept its tradition of having strong running back play under Durkin.

In his first season at Coastal in 2014, Durkin helped De’Angelo Henderson earn first-team All-Big South honors as he led the league in rushing, scoring, and rushing touchdowns while ranking among the NCAA FCS leaders in rushing yards per carry (6.56, 7th), rushing TDs (20, 7th), rushing yards (1,534, 9th), scoring (9.0 ppg, 11th).

Prior to Coastal Carolina, Durkin spent four seasons from 2010-13 coaching the offensive line at Bowling Green. The Falcons were 2013 MAC Champions, led the NCAA FBS in time of possession, and led the nation in fewest fumbles lost, while also ranking 29th in total offense.

In 2012, Bowling Green was one of the least sacked teams in the country, allowing just 15 sacks in 13 contests.

Durkin spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons at Hofstra. While with the Pride, Durkin was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator in 2008-09. He added assistant head coach to his title in 2009.

Prior to his time at Hofstra, Durkin spent 11 seasons at Richmond, where he was part of four conference championship teams. He joined the Spiders’ program in 1997 as the tight ends and offensive tackles coach where he coached two all-conference selections and one All-American.

Durkin coached the Richmond running backs from 2000 through the 2003 season before assuming the role of offensive line coach from 2004 through 2007. He also added the run game coordinator title in 2007.

Durkin began his coaching career as a strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts from 1995-96. He was a four-year letterman, a two-year team captain, and a first-team all-conference selection in both 1992 and 1993. He added consensus first-team All-American honors in 1993 and was later named to the Yankee Conference 50th Anniversary All-Star Team.

Following graduation, he played with the New England Patriots and the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, as well as the Shreveport Pirates and the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League.

Durkin and his wife, Victoria, have two children, Ryan and Rachel.

Durkin at a Glance
Coaching Experience: