A Clarion native with nearly three decades of college coaching experience, Dave Durish returned to the Clarion staff in 2022. He will mark his 19th year in the Blue & Gold in 2025 by working with the Golden Eagles' cornerbacks.
Durish coached the team's defensive line for the second year in 2023, helping to develop an all-conference performer in defensive end Jake Tarburton. Tarburton became the first Golden Eagle defensive lineman to break double-digits in tackles for loss since 2018, and he also contributed five sacks en route to a Second Team All-PSAC West selection.
In 2022, Durish effectively managed a defensive line unit that largely featured an entirely new cast of characters. Among them was defensive end Robert Lachmann, who earned PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for Sept. 19 after dominating in a win over Lock Haven. Lachmann went on to earn an invitation to the CFL Combine in Spring 2023 and signed a professional contract with the Hamburg Sea Devils of the European League of Football.
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Durish previously spent six years – encompassing five seasons – as the offensive line coach at California (Pa.), where he worked with a pair of AFCA All-Americans and 10 All-PSAC West selections. In 2018, Craig McCorkle transitioned from right tackle to left tackle and garnered AFCA All-America status, plus repeated as an All-PSAC West First-Team honoree. Cal U ranked among the top 10 in the nation that year in fewest sacks allowed, as opponents totaled just seven sacks on over 400 pass attempts.
In 2017, senior Taylor Nikithser received the Rimington Award for NCAA Division II, which recognized the nation’s most outstanding center, while also being tabbed an AFCA All-American. Nikithser, a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American during his career, started all 35 games over his last three seasons and was an All-PSAC West selection each year.
Durish worked with an offensive line that helped the Vulcans lead the country in scoring offense at 49.6 points per game in his first year with the program. Cal U also eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards in 2016 for the first time in seven seasons. The offensive line featured four overall All-PSAC West selections with three being first-team honorees.
Prior to his time at California (Pa.), Durish spent a decade on the coaching staff at Clarion, including seven years as the offensive coordinator. Dating back to the start of his coaching career, Durish spent a combined 15 seasons with the Golden Eagles, as he served as a graduate assistant from 1993-95 and an offensive line coach from 1997-98. He returned to Clarion in 2006 as the offensive coordinator and also coached the offensive linemen during that stint. In his initial turn with the Golden Eagles, Durish coached All-American wide receiver Alvin Slaughter, a 2014 inductee into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame. He also helped recruit two-time All-American offensive lineman and future NFL draft pick Reggie Wells, Jr. to Clarion.
Durish played an instrumental role with the program in 2009, as the Golden Eagles finished with an 8-3 overall record despite winning only a combined four games the previous three years. The Clarion offense featured three All-PSAC West First Team selections. Running back Alfonso Hoggard was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in rushing yards, scoring and all-purpose yards.
Hoggard repeated as an All-PSAC West First Team honoree as a senior in 2010 and finished his career with over 6,300 all-purpose yards and nearly 35 touchdowns.
In Durish’s final year as offensive coordinator, Clarion boasted an All-PSAC West First Team quarterback for the first time in 20 years. Ben Fiscus passed for nearly 2,500 yards and led the team with almost 700 rushing yards while accounting for 20 touchdowns during the 2012 season.
Durish also coached two of the top wide receivers in Clarion history in Jacques Robinson and Pierre Odom. Robinson, who was a three-time All-PSAC West selection, holds the all-time school record with 207 receptions and sits fourth in receiving yards. Odom ranks among the top five all-time at Clarion in both receptions and receiving yards.
In 1996, Durish spent one year at Ohio Wesleyan as the offensive coordinator before returning to Clarion in 1997 as the offensive line coach. He then spent the 1999 season as the defensive line coach at Case Western Reserve.
Durish served as the defensive line coach at Millikin (Ill.) from 2000-03 and also was the school’s assistant athletic director. He helped the football program win over 30 games during his four seasons. The Big Blue tied for the league title in 2000, finished with a 9-2 overall record and made its second appearance in the NCAA Playoffs in three years. The following year, Durish mentored the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Defensive Player of the Year in Mike Lindsey, who finished his career with 45 tackles for loss (TFL).
In 2004, Durish served as the quality control coach at Illinois under then-head coach Ron Turner before spending the 2005 season as the defensive backs coach at Georgia Southern.
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