Tuesday, Maryland head coach DJ Durkin was reinstated to position with the Terps after it was recommended by the University’s Board of Regents.
Here’s what was behind their decision to ultimately bring back the guy who oversaw a staff that was undoubtedly responsible for the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair this past spring.
Via CBS Sports:
During a press conference on Tuesday discussing the results of the independent investigation into the culture of the football program, regents chair Jim Brady said that “the board accepts that during football coach DJ Durkin’s tenure, the athletic department lacked a culture of accountability, did not provide adequate oversight of the football program and did not provide Mr. Durkin with the tools, resource and guidance necessary to support and educate a first-time head coach in a major conference.”
A first time coach in a major conference? What the fuck? Maryland is essentially acting like Durkin went from some low-level prep program to the Big Ten. Lets not forget this guy was plucked from Michigan to become the new bead coach at Maryland. And before that, he was with Florida.
Anyways, the nonsense continued…
He continued: “We believe Mr. Durkin failed to adequately supervise strength and conditioning coach Rick Court but that this failure is shared by the university’s athletic department. We believe that Coach Durkin has been unfairly blamed for the dysfunction in the athletic department, and while he shares some responsibility, it is not fair to put all of it at his feet. He has acknowledged his role in the athletic department’s shortcomings as he served as head coach, and he has committed to reforms.”
Okay, it’s not like some of Durkin’s players got drunk and pissed on a cop car or got busted for smoking weed in their dorm and his staff failed to relay that info to him. A kid he was responsible for on the football field fucking died of heat stroke.
Jordan McNair, who had the rest of his life ahead of him was failed by Durkin and the rest of the coaching staff, while showing signs of distress during practice. All while a disturbing culture amongst the coaches began to surface that included players having their manhood’s questioned by a bunch insecure meatheads, homophobic slurs and on at least one occasion a trash can full of vomit thrown at them by former strength and conditioning coach Rick Court.
Understandably some players were upset that Durkin was reinstated and according to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN three different players walked out of a morning meeting with Durkin while he was addressing the team. Those players’ identities have been revealed however McNair’s family too is unsurprisingly upset over Maryland’s decision.
Via Sports Illustrated:
“I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach, and somebody spit in my face,” Marty McNair, Jordan’s father, said at a press conference Tuesday, per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
Hassan Murphy, the attorney for Jordan McNair’s family, addressed the athletic department’s mishandling of Jordan’s collapse at a May 29 team workout.
“How can a student-athlete be called a p—y as he is in the early stages of death, dying before their eyes, with no action taken, and yet no one be held accountable?” Murphy said. “The university had an obligation to keep its student safe, and it failed.”
So after his slap on the wrist, something college football seems to be good for, Durkin will return to the sidelines this weekend after his long vacation to head coach the Terps as they take on the Michigan State.
