Mr. Dick Durrant was an outstanding teacher, coach and athletic director at Elgin Community College from 1961 through 1985. Durrant’s teams won several Conference and Regional Championships. However, Dick was better known for his concern for students, his sense of fair play and his attitude of education before athletics. Durrant encouraged his athletes to be good players, good students and good citizens. Over ninety percent of his players received their degrees during his tenure as coach. Coach Durrant retired in 1985 and remained in the Elgin area until his death in 2005.

Durrant’s regard for his student / athletes and his promotion of education before athletics is recognized annually by the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference with the awarding of the “Dick Durrant Award.” It is given each year to the male and female athlete in the conference who attains the highest grade point average after completing four semesters of college work and at least forty-eight semester hours of credit.

Sixteen Waubonsee student/athletes have won this award, including seven consecutive recipients from 1993 to 2000, far more than any other school in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.