After starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Auburn University, David Durden won six NCAA  Championships with the Tigers, and spent his final season with the team as Assistant Head Coach before taking the head coaching position at the University of Maryland.

He was named Head Coach at the University of California - Berkeley in 2007 after three years at the helm for the Terrapins, taking over for legendary coach Nort Thornton, who retired after 33 years on the job.

By the end of the 2009 World University Games and World Championships, 13 of the world's Top 50 swimmers had trained under Durden and his staff.

In 2010, he lead the Golden Bears to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships, narrowly missing out on the national title that went to the University of Texas. However, he was named the 2010 Pac-10 and NCAA Coach of the Year, and Cal has become one of the top swimming programs in the country under his leadership.

An incredibly organized coach, Durden has whiteboards in his office featuring every workout planned for every member of his team through 2012. This allows him to plan for his athletes' futures, helping them make the best gains for their swimming styles.