Maryland interim coach Canada juggles many tasks

Matt Canada is plenty busy, and he has been for days.

As interim coach of the Maryland football team, Canada is not just putting in a game plan for Saturday’s opener against No. 23 Texas. He is also fulfilling his duties as offensive coordinator and, most importantly, making sure the players stay focused during a season dedicated to fallen teammate Jordan McNair — a season that will start with head coach DJ Durkin on leave and the subject of an investigation.

McNair, a sophomore offensive lineman, died on June 13, two weeks after collapsing during a team workout. Since that time, Maryland has launched two investigations — one to unearth the circumstances surrounding McNair’s death, the other to address allegations of an abusive culture within the program. Durkin was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 11, leaving Canada in charge of a team with no shortage of distractions.

“We talk about it daily as a team,” Canada said Tuesday. “I couldn’t be prouder of the way they’re working at it. We’re helping each other. Everything that they’ve dealt with, they’ve done the best job they could possibly do. We’re as ready as we can be, given the situation that we’re in.”

It’s a delicate balance for Canada, trying to prepare his players for a clash with a ranked team while respecting the memory of McNair.

“We’ve been dealing with this a couple months,” Canada said. “It’s not like it’s ever going to go away, and we’re not asking it to go away. But when our players play, they want to play well for each other and for Jordan. That’s important to them.”

The 46-year-old Canada has never been a head coach before. He came to Maryland after serving as offensive coordinator at six schools, most recently LSU last season.