Eastern Michigan Athletics
Paxton Payne, Brendan Durivage Added to Men’s Basketball Staff
8/5/2026 12:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Payne named Director of Player Development, Durivage tabbed Chief of Staff
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Paxton Payne and Brendan Durivage have been added to the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball staff as announced by Head Coach Billy Donlon Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Payne is the Director of Player Development while Durivage is the Chief of Staff.
"I am excited about the additions of Paxton and Brendan to our staff," Donlon said.
"Paxton played for me and is as tough as they come," Donlon added. "He is a coach's son. His dad, Steve Payne, has had an exceptional career including a long head coaching tenure at Tennessee Tech. The coaching and passion for the game is in his blood. He has a great work ethic and mind for the game."
Payne played under Donlon while at UMKC during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Payne earned Summit League Academic Honor Roll accolades in both seasons and was named to the Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence following the 2021-22 campaign. Payne averaged 2.6 points per game and 1.1 rebounds per game as a freshman.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to be at Eastern Michigan," Payne said. "I'm especially thankful for Coach Donlon giving me this chance and am excited to make an impact on our student-athletes and the season ahead."
After his time at UMKC, Payne played at Cleveland State during the 2022-23 season before competing at Lourdes for the 2024-25 campaign.
"Brendan has experience in the MAC having been at Central Michigan," Donlon said. "He most recently spent time with one of the most respected college coaches in our game in Dedrique Taylor at Cal State Fullerton. Brendan is organized and detailed. He is a Michigan native with relationships throughout the state."
Durivage was most recently the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations at Cal State Fullerton in the 2025-26 season with EMU assistant coach Hassan Nizam after spending the 2024-25 season with Nizam at Central Michigan.
"I'm beyond excited to be a part of this awesome community here at Eastern Michigan," Durivage said. "Definitely looking forward to being a part of the rich history of basketball here."
Prior to Central Michigan, Durivage assisted with multiple Michigan AAU basketball organizations while attending Michigan State University as an undergraduate student. In the summer of 2019, he worked as a volunteer coach for the REACH Legends, a longtime championship AAU organization based out of Detroit, Mich. In the summers of 2022 and 2023, he served as a special assistant for the D Rice Elite 16U team that is also based out of Detroit.
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Payne is the Director of Player Development while Durivage is the Chief of Staff.
"I am excited about the additions of Paxton and Brendan to our staff," Donlon said.
"Paxton played for me and is as tough as they come," Donlon added. "He is a coach's son. His dad, Steve Payne, has had an exceptional career including a long head coaching tenure at Tennessee Tech. The coaching and passion for the game is in his blood. He has a great work ethic and mind for the game."
Payne played under Donlon while at UMKC during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Payne earned Summit League Academic Honor Roll accolades in both seasons and was named to the Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence following the 2021-22 campaign. Payne averaged 2.6 points per game and 1.1 rebounds per game as a freshman.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to be at Eastern Michigan," Payne said. "I'm especially thankful for Coach Donlon giving me this chance and am excited to make an impact on our student-athletes and the season ahead."
After his time at UMKC, Payne played at Cleveland State during the 2022-23 season before competing at Lourdes for the 2024-25 campaign.
"Brendan has experience in the MAC having been at Central Michigan," Donlon said. "He most recently spent time with one of the most respected college coaches in our game in Dedrique Taylor at Cal State Fullerton. Brendan is organized and detailed. He is a Michigan native with relationships throughout the state."
Durivage was most recently the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations at Cal State Fullerton in the 2025-26 season with EMU assistant coach Hassan Nizam after spending the 2024-25 season with Nizam at Central Michigan.
"I'm beyond excited to be a part of this awesome community here at Eastern Michigan," Durivage said. "Definitely looking forward to being a part of the rich history of basketball here."
Prior to Central Michigan, Durivage assisted with multiple Michigan AAU basketball organizations while attending Michigan State University as an undergraduate student. In the summer of 2019, he worked as a volunteer coach for the REACH Legends, a longtime championship AAU organization based out of Detroit, Mich. In the summers of 2022 and 2023, he served as a special assistant for the D Rice Elite 16U team that is also based out of Detroit.
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
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