A Fort Wayne basketball standout who just wrapped up a championship college hoops career will take over the East Noble boys basketball program.
Brandon Durnell will fill the Knights vacancy, according to an announcement from East Noble athletic director Nick David.
Durnell, a Homestead High School graduate, just finished a four-year playing career at Spring Arbor University that included both team and individual accolades. The Cougars won the NAIA Division II National Championship and regular season Crossroads League championship in 2019. Durnell earned 2nd Team All-Crossroads League and NAIA All-Tournament team as sophomore. He followed that up with a 1st Team All-Conference award as a junior. He is also a 2-time NAIA All-America Honorable Mention selection. Earlier this month, he won SAU's Cougar Nation Award for Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
In two varsity seasons at Homestead, Durnell earned All-Summit Athletic Conference, All-Northeast Indiana and All-State honors. The Spartans won two sectional titles.
Durnell is already active in coaching as co-director of the Summit City Elite AAU program and previously a head coach for Prime Select Elite; and assistant coach at Total Package Elite and Unity Hoops.
Durnell comes to East Noble at a time when the program has flourished. The Knights are 62-34 over the past four seasons. With most of this season's roster returning next year, Durnell should have a cohesive unit in Year 1.
East Noble is one of 26 high schools that partner with Parkview Sports Medicine for athletic tranining, sports performance, nutrition, athletic rehab and other sports medicine services for Knight student-athletes. Learn more at www.parkviewsportsmedicine.com.