DJ Durkin, Maryland part ways following outcry over coach's reinstatement

Maryland parted ways with football coach DJ Durkin on Wednesday evening. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

October 31 at 7:22 PM

Maryland parted ways with football Coach DJ Durkin on Wednesday evening, one day after he was reinstated. Durkin, who had been on administrative leave since Aug. 11 following media reports that outlined a culture of abuse, fear and intimidation that allegedly took place under his watch, was not fired for cause and will be bought out of his contract.

Maryland’s football program and athletic department have been the focus of scrutiny for months, following the death Jordan McNair, a 19-year-old football player who suffered exertional heatstroke at a team workout in late May and died several days later.

An exhaustive probe into the culture of the football program also highlighted dysfunction within the athletic department.

The decision to part ways with Durkin came following pushback from lawmakers and some players who voiced their displeasure with his reinstatement on social media. Student leaders criticized the decision, as have faculty members in College Park.

The University of Maryland informed the board of regents of its decision to fire Durkin but did not consult with the board. Athletic Director Damon Evans told the team after practice Wednesday, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. Matt Canada will continue in his role as interim coach of the football team.

Before Wednesday’s news broke, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) called on the state university system’s governing board to reconsider its decisions, and said he was “deeply troubled by the lack of transparency.”

Maryland President Wallace Loh, who on Tuesday announced that he would retire from his post, said in a letter posted online that he met with campus leaders and the “overwhelming majority of stakeholders” voiced “serious concerns” about Durkin’s return.

“This is not at all a reflection of my opinion of Coach Durkin as a person," he said. “However, a departure is in the best interest of the university, and this afternoon Coach Durkin was informed that the university will part ways.”

The letter continued: “This is a difficult decision, but it is the right one for our entire university. I will devote the remaining months of my presidency to advancing the needed reforms in our Athletic department that prioritize the safety and well-being of our student-athletes.”

James T. Brady, chair of the board of regents, on Tuesday said Durkin’s “passion for the university, the football team and the players was absolutely impressive and very believable.”

The regents presented Loh with an ultimatum of sorts: If he wanted to finish the school year and reach the end of his contract, he had to keep Durkin.

Durkin rejoined the team Tuesday and was initially expected to be back on the sideline for Maryland’s game against Michigan State on Saturday. But the return was not a smooth transition. Multiple people close to the football program said several players walked out of his first meeting with the team.

Maryland athletics and football at the university were the focus of an outside probe, ordered after an ESPN story painted a troubling picture of the culture Durkin’s program. An exhaustive report on that probe stopped short of calling the environment “toxic," but said the commission handling the investigation found that Maryland football did have “a culture where problems festered because too many players feared speaking out.”

The commission found that “during Mr. Durkin’s tenure, the athletic department lacked a culture of accountability, did not provide adequate oversight of the football program, and failed to provide Mr. Durkin with the tools, resources, and guidance necessary to support and educate a first-time head coach in a major football conference.”

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