Maryland puts Durkin on paid leave during review
Less than 24 hours after the University of Maryland announced that an unspecified number of football team staff members had been placed on paid administrative leave, third-year head coach DJ Durkin was also placed on administrative leave Saturday, athletic director Damon Evans announced.
In an email to his staff, Evans also announced that new offensive coordinator Matt Canada will take over as team’s interim coach. Canada, 46, is in his first year at Maryland after parting ways with LSU.
The decision to relieve Durkin of his duties — pending the outcome of an external review of the program after the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair in June as well as an explosive report by ESPN on Friday — comes exactly three weeks before the Terps open the season against Maryland coach DJ Durkin was placed on administrative leave Saturday after multiple reports surfaced of a ‘toxic culture’ within the football program in the wake of Jordan McNair’s death.
Texas at FexEx Field.
“I am extremely concerned by the allegations of unacceptable behaviors by the members of our football staff detailed in recent media reports,” Evans wrote in a letter to his staff. “We are committed to fully investigating the program.
“At this time, the best
decision for our football program is to place Maryland head football coach DJ Durkin on leave so we can properly review the culture of the program. This is effective immediately.”
The decision to remove Durkin, 40, from his duties comes nearly two months after the death of McNair,
the 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Randallstown, Md. McNair died June 13 — 15 days after falling ill during a conditioning test — of what his family described as heatstroke on a website to announce the establishment of a foundation in his honor.
On Friday, ESPN posted two different stories, one detailing the specifics of McNair’s physical deterioration during and immediately after the May 29 conditioning test, and another on widespread incidents of what was termed “intimidation, embarrassment and humiliation” of players by Durkin and strength and conditioning coach Rick Court.
Court, who was one of Durkin’s first hires when he came to College Park from Michigan after the 2015 season, was reported to be running the conditioning test. It was also reported that longtime trainer Wes Robinson was heard telling players to “drag (McNair’s butt) across the field.”
Durkin sent a letter to parents of the players Friday, saying an upcoming report might “prompt some questions” about the program, according to a source who sent a copy to The Baltimore Sun.
“The external review of the tragic death of Jordan McNair continues, and we have committed to releasing publicly the report being prepared by an independent and national expert,” Evans wrote Saturday, referring to Walters Inc., a medical consulting company run by former college football trainer Rod Walters. “The safety and well-being of our student-athletes is our highest priority. These alleged behaviors are not consistent with the values I expect all of our staff to adhere to and we must do better. You will be hearing from me as our work continues to rebuild the culture of respect in our football program.”
Before being named the new athletic director in late June after serving eight months in an acting role while former athletic director Kevin Anderson was on sabbatical (Anderson resigned in mid-April), Evans was the senior staff member who oversaw the football program.