John Windows is leaving his post as director of Durham Men’s Academy for health reasons, drawing a 27-year coaching stint to a close. The 49-year-old, once a second-team batter himself, has been the steady hand behind a production line that delivered Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Steve Harmison and several others to England colours.
Durham confirmed on Saturday that Windows will move into a part-time mentoring role. A recent medical diagnosis, he explained, means he can no longer give the “shop-floor” energy the job demands.
“It is with great sadness and regret that I am having to stand down from my role as Men’s Academy Director,” Windows said. “I have enjoyed every day of my coaching career at Durham, it has been a privilege to work with such a great club and contribute to its success. Unfortunately, I no longer have the physical capacity to support our young talent. The role is multi-faceted but to do it successfully I have always felt you need to be active on the shop floor as well as working strategically behind the scenes.
“Stepping back from a full-time role will give me more time to recharge my batteries and look after myself. I feel this is essential if I am going to maintain any sort of ‘normal life’.”
Those words typify Windows’ straight-up style, according to former and current players. He joined the coaching staff in 1999 under Geoff Cook, took charge of the academy in 2007, and rarely chased the limelight. Instead he built relationships with local leagues and neighbouring counties – a network that helped lure a 17-year-old Stokes from Cumbria not long after the family arrived from New Zealand.
Within a few years the academy’s scorecard read like an England team sheet: Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Graham Onions then Wood, Liam Plunkett, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and, most recently, Under-19s captain Ben McKinney. That yield backed Durham’s strategy of growing talent rather than buying it, a necessity for a club that only gained first-class status in 1992.
Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, paid tribute. “John has decided that now is the right time to step away from his role as Men’s Academy Director, due to his ongoing medical condition,” North said. “Over the course of nearly 30 years with the club, John has played an extraordinary role in shaping the journeys of hundreds of young cricketers, many of whom have become professional and international players.
“His vision, passion, dedication, and care for developing players have left a lasting mark on our pathway and on the club as a whole. Although he will no longer be leading the Academy, we are delighted that John will continue to be part of the club and share the wisdom and experience that have inspired so many.
“I would like to personally thank John for everything he has given to the club, and for the remarkable commitment and energy he has put into making our men’s academy the best in the Country, a legacy that will live strong for future generations.”
Durham will begin the search for a successor in the coming weeks, though insiders hint the structure Windows built should ensure a smooth handover. In the meantime, academy prospects working towards next spring’s county-age programme will still see the familiar figure of Windows around the Riverside, just not every hour of the day.
For a county that bases much of its identity on home-grown cricketers, his influence is likely to be felt long after he leaves the office keys on the desk.
