Maryland pulls reverse, fires embattled coach
DJ Durkin’s return as Maryland’s football coach lasted one day.
Durkin was fired Wednesday, just more than 24 hours after being reinstated by the school.
Several state officials called for Durkin to be fired, and one called the decision to retain him an “embarrassment.”
Maryland president Wallace Loh fired Durkin after conferring with the leadership of the Student Government Association, the Senate Executive Committee, deans, department chairs and campus leadership.
Matt Canada is expected to resume the role of interim coach. Maryland is 5-3 heading into Saturday’s home game against Michigan State.
IRISH NO. 1 IN WOMEN’S POLL >> Notre Dame starts the new season where it left off, atop women’s college basketball. The Irish were the unanimous No. 1 team in The Associated Press preseason poll. Stanford came in at No. 7, Oregon No. 8, Arizona State No. 23 and Cal No. 24.
Baseball
PRICE SAYS HE’LL STAY WITH RED SOX >> Three days after a World Series victory that transformed him from a postseason flop to an October hero, Red Sox lefthander David Price said at the team’s victory parade that he would stay in Boston rather than opt out of his contract and become a free agent.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Price said on the field at Fenway Park before boarding a duck boat for the ride through the city. “I came here to win, and we did that this year. That was very special and I want to do it again.”
Price will earn $127 million over the next four years, the remainder of a sevenyear, $217 million contract he signed before the 2016 season that gave him the right to opt out after the third year. It remains the richest contract ever for a pitcher.
A’S BRING BACK RODNEY >> The A’s exercised right-hander Fernando Rodney’s $5.25 million club option for 2019. The A’s will bring the 41-year-old Rodney back for another season.
Rodney was acquired from Minnesota on Aug. 9 for minor league pitcher Dakota Chalmers. Rodney went 1-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 22 games for the A’s after saving 25 games for the Twins before the deal. Rodney has pitched for 10 teams in a 16-year career.
NOTES >> Outfielder Brett Gardner is staying with the Yankees at a lower salary. The outfielder agreed to a $7.5 million, one-year contract after New York declined his $12.5 million option . ... The Cubs exercised their $10.5 million option on pitcher Jose Quintana . ... First baseman Justin Smoak’s $8 million option was exercised by the Blue Jays . ... Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers agreed to extend the deadline on his opt-out decision by 40 hours until Friday at 1 p.m.
Gymnastics
RUSSIAN WINS WORLD ALL-AROUND TITLE >> Artur Dalaloyan of Russia won the men’s world all-around gymnastics title, edging China’s Xiao Ruoteng during a taut and tense final in Doha, Qatar. Dalaloyan and Xiao, the 2017 all-around champion, both finished with a total of 87.598. Dalaloyan was awarded the gold medal after officials dropped the lowest score.
American Sam Mikulak was in medal contention heading into the final rotation, but the five-time national champion lost grip with one arm during his high bar routine, a miscue that dropped him to fifth.
Tennis
NADAL PULLS OUT >> Rafael Nadal pulled out of his second-round match at the Paris Masters because of an abdominal problem, meaning Novak Djokovic will reclaim the No. 1 ranking next week. Nadal was returning from a right knee injury, which forced him to retire from the U.S. Open semifinals, but took medical advice not to play against Fernando Verdasco. DEPLETED ROSTER >> Four of the top five U.S. women in the WTA singles rankings will skip the Fed Cup final Nov. 10-11 in White Plains, New York, against the Czech Republic, including both Williams sisters and Sloane Stephens. The roster includes No. 35 Danielle Collins, No. 48 Sofia Kenin and No. 63 Alison Riske. The Czech Republic seeks its sixth title in eight years.