COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (February 13, 2019)
USA Shooting is proud to announce that Dan Durben (Belle Fourche, South Dakota) has been hired as National Rifle Coach.
The 1988 Olympian officially takes the helm of the program tomorrow but is no stranger to the coaching side of USA Shooting. He served as National Rifle Team coach from 1997-2000 and coached the Paralympic Shooting Team from 2003-2008. He also coached the 2000 Olympic Team, as well as the teams for the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games. From 2004-2017, Durben served as director of the Civilian Marksmanship Program Three-Position Air Rifle Summer Camp Program.
“The current team and the next generation coming up behind them are wonderful people,” said Durben, who noted it’s the athletes who drew him to this position. “It will be an exciting challenge to work with our athletes to help them learn about themselves, achieve their goals and perform their best in major competitions against the high level of performance and depth that has been developed worldwide in the rifle events.”
During his athletic career, Durben won a World Championship silver medal in 1986 in Air Rifle and is a two-time World Cup gold medalist in Three-Position Rifle. Durben also held National Champion titles in the Air and Three-Position Rifle events.
“As an athlete, I went from an un-recruited walk-on in college to a National Champion, World Championship medalist and Olympian,” said Durben. “I bring a breadth of experience, from coaching athletes from their first day on the range to representing the USA on the awards podium at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
“We’re excited to have someone as passionate about this sport and developing athletes as Dan joining our USA Shooting Team,” said USA Shooting CEO Keith Enlow. “We had a lot of great candidates apply for the position, but between his coaching, athletic and even background as a professor, we knew he was the right person to help us win medals in Tokyo 2020.”
Durben earned a PH.D. in Chemistry from Arizona State University in 1993 and has most recently been working as a Professor of Physics and Chemistry at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. He also serves as the Faculty Athletics Representative for BHSU where he acts as a liaison between academics and athletics.
Durben will work with the National Rifle Team remotely at camps and competitions until he relocates to Colorado Springs in May.