June 24, 2002

PITTSBURGH - Duquesne University Director of Athletics Brian Colleary announced today that the contract of head women's basketball coach Dan Durkin has been extended through the 2004-2005 season. Durkin is Duquesne's all-time winningest coach with a 115-135 record in nine seasons at DU.

"Dan has made women's basketball a success at Duquesne and his teams are a perennial threat in the highly competitive Atlantic 10 Conference," Colleary said. "The entire University community is pleased to have him continue to lead our women's basketball program."

Since his arrival in 1994, the Dukes have set school records for most wins in a season (19 in 1998), most conference wins (10 in 1998) as well as posting the school's highest seeding in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Durkin led the Dukes to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1983 going 19-9 and 15-13 during the 1998 and 1999 seasons respectively.

Durkin's Dukes return four starters from last year's 14-15 team, and will also welcome back 2001 leading scorer Khalihah Este-Shehu who missed last season with a knee injury.