 Durkin has a reputation as a strong national recruiter and was named the 2012 Rivals.com Recruiter of the Year.On November 22, 2014, Durkin was named interim head coach for Florida's bowl game after the previous head coach, Will Muschamp, announced he would step down following the regular season.Durkin led Florida to a 28–20 victory in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl against East Carolina.