Brianne Durfee (formerly McGowan) enters her fourth year as an assistant coach with the Wolf Pack softball program with a focus on pitching.
During the 2019 season, she guided a pitching staff to a fourth best number of strikeouts in program history with 302 while seeing eight shutouts in the circle. Guided Kali Sargent, a two-year starter for the Pack, to multiple top ten career records including starts and innings pitched. A current junior, Julia Jensen has already marked her name in the top ten in career strikeouts with 227 so far.
With the help of Durfee's pitching staff, the Pack went on to play in the 2018 NISC for the second year in a row. In the 2017 season, her staff reached unprecedented heights during the Pack’s postseason run. Nevada posted a 2.59 ERA in postseason play, allowing just 10 earned runs over the course of four games during the NISC in 2017.
With Durfee’s guidance, Nevada was one of the most feared pitching staffs amongst the Mountain West, striking out a total 273 in its 2017 campaign. That marked not only ranks fourth-most in Nevada history but was also second-best in the MW.
Durfee, a Reno native and one of the most decorated softball players in the state, was a standout, four-year starting pitcher at Wooster High School. She led the Colts to four consecutive 4A state titles and was named the state’s Pitcher of the Year in 2001. Her team in 2002 went undefeated in league play and she was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year and Nevada Prep Athlete of the Year.
Following her high school career, she went on to play four years of college softball at Oregon State from 2004-07. As a sophomore in 2005, she was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and aided in the Beavers advancing to the NCAA Women’s College World Series the following year. Twice during her career she was selected as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American.
Her name appears many times throughout the OSU record book, as she holds records for wins in a single season (36), career wins (100), and strikeouts in a game (16), season (346) and career (852), among others. She was no slouch at the plate either, as she ranks in a tie for fourth all-time at OSU in career home runs (35) and is second in career runs batted in (134). Durfee also had playing success outside of college, winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2007 World University Games and was a member of the 2004 USA Junior Olympic team.
Durfee got her start in coaching while finishing up her degree at OSU as an undergraduate assistant during the 2008 season. She then spent two seasons as an assistant coach at fellow MW member school Boise State until 2010. While with the Broncos, Durfee’s primary responsibilities included pitching coach duties and assisted with hitting and fielding, as well as contributing to the day-to-day operations with the program.
Following her time with the Broncos, Durfee had been coaching and instructing locally with the Nevada Comets travel team. During that time, her team advanced to the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) National Tournament and she has helped a number of girls reach the college softball level.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human science from Oregon State in 2008 and earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Idaho State in 2010. Durfee resides in Reno with her husband, Brandon, and their two kids Connor, and Kaitlyn.
