Durkin to Maryland official
UPDATE: Maryland makes Durkin hiring official. --> https://t.co/VGM9kLLLeo
— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) December 2, 2015December 2nd, 2015 at 7:53 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 8:59 PM ^
He's out. I really don't see Harbaugh just handing him a coaching position if he doesn't deserve it on his own merits. And if that is the case, good for Harbaugh.
If Durkin harpoons our long, hard (twss) efforts to land Gary and/or Walker, he will forever be a pariah around Ann Arbor. Karma is a bitch DJ, keep that shit in mind.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:46 PM ^
As I read through the comments, many thoughts come to mind.
- People need to chill out and relax. It hurts losing Durkin, but it isn't the end of the world. Realistically, people should have looked at what he did over the last 15 years and expected him to jump when he got the chance.
- Of course he is going to poach the best coaches he can poach from wherever he can get them. Again, that doesn't surprise me at all. Partly it has to do with money, obviously, and partly with increased responsibilities, and partly with the relationship other coaches already have with Durkin.
- One of the main complaints here on the board is that Durkin "obviously wasn't focused on OSU." To that question, I would ask, was Harbaugh focused on the 49's before the end of last season? Harbaugh regularly said his focus was on the 49's, and he wouldn't discuss Michigan until the regular season was over. That sounds an awful lot like what Durkin said. I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt, and assume that he focused on OSU last week.
- The other assumption is that if Durkin would have focused on Michigan, and the gameplan against the Buckeyes, we would have been much more competitive. That's ridiculous. We were going to get gashed by Zeke Elliott and JT Barrett regardless. And once Glasgow went out against Rutgers, we were completely screwed. Plus, the players in the LB corps were the weak spot on the defense. Brian's been carping about Bolden forever. And even Brian allowed that Morgan was limited in his speed and strength. Nothing Durkin did would have improved the LB's.
- Until I hear otherwise, I choose to believe that Harbaugh was part of this discussion, and has known Durkin's plans. And that Harbaugh would be happy for a coach of his to get the opportunity to be a head coach. Realistically, Durkin could have been a HC at Florida. We were lucky to have him for a year.
- I look at this as the first of many coming from the Harbaugh coaching tree. How awesome that we have a head coach come after only one year.
- Lastly, Harbaugh, with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, is not going to take this lying down. He has an awful lot of contacts in coaching, and will undoubtedly find a replacement for Durkin, a solid replacement, and this should happen pretty quickly.
I am confident that Michigan will be fine, and that Harbaugh is the key to our success.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^
You saw the defensive performance against tOSU right? How can you honestly conclude that he was focused on that game, especially in light of the reports that he was interviewing during the week leading up to the game?
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
Do you really think if he had more time to prep OSU wouldn't have gashed us? Do you think extra prep time would have allowed the shorthanded DL to get more penetration or make our LB's faster and better tacklers? That game was not about X's and O's. It was about Jimmys and Joes and OSU's were much better than ours. An extra couple hours for Durkin to prep would not have changed anything last Saturday.
December 2nd, 2015 at 9:16 PM ^
Yeah, I saw the defense against OSU. And honestly, I predicted much the same thing way earlier in the season than the loss of Ryan Glasgow. Between OSU's offensive line, and Ezekiel Elliott, and a mobile QB in JT Barrett, we were sunk. Do you really believe that Durkin could have schemed in a way that would have stopped their running game? Jenkins-Stone and even Taco were a step below Ojemudia, and no one could replace Ryan. And the LB corps has been substandard for a while. Yes, I literally believe that nothing Durkin could have done would have worked in that game.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
I respectfully disagree on many points. (I do enjoy most of your posts!)
If Harbaugh happily knew his DC was interviewing during the week of The Game, then it's not the Harbaugh we think we know.
Harbaugh's circumstances in SF were in no way similar to the circumstances here and now.
There is no way that contemplating a major job and geographic transition takes 0% of your energy, time and attention away from the rest of your work.
People are not upset that he is going. They are upset at the timing and circumstances.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:58 PM ^
People will be upset if he takes recruits and staff. In addition, people will be upset if he negative recruits us with inside information.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:53 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:03 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
Yeah, Durkin came for a year and hit the road. I'm ok that he was a hired gun. Obviously, Harbaugh thought well of him, since he had him on staff at Stanford.
Did Durkin use us? There's a pejorative implied in there, but that's ok. In a sense we "used him." He benefited, we benefited. A win - win, imhe. And frankly, I just can't blame him for jumping at a decent HC position. We'll just agree to disagree.
I will stubbornly maintain that we need more talent on the field, and we are getting there, but that Harbaugh and Durkin and the rest of the staff did miracles getting as many wins as they did out of a team that isn't there talent wise yet.
Oh, and I didn't take this personally. Life is too short to take everything personally. Although, I always wonder if your visage resembles your avatar. And am curious about the significance of your user name.
December 2nd, 2015 at 9:29 PM ^
I love you too, Timmmaay. Upvote for you!
December 3rd, 2015 at 9:35 AM ^
I agree with you more often than not, but this is absolutely not one of those times.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:31 PM ^
Well said StephenRKass. I had to read thru lots of venom in this thread to finally find the voice of reason. We do not know how any of this went down and how Harbaugh was involved. Until we do, wish the guy the best. He has a great opportunity for himself and his family. Because the Harbaugh coaching tree continues to grow, he will continue to attract top-notch coaches. The next DC may prove to be even better than Durkin.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:47 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:48 PM ^
I DO NOT like turtles.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:48 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:50 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^
I'll bet this news makes Urbz and the Buckeyes pretty upset. I'm sure they were looking forward to seeing DJ and his inadequate game plan again next year.
And... this turns next year’s game against Maryland from an otherwise mundane, ordinary beat down into DJ’s comeuppance beat down that we can all revel in.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
In 5 years the guy will be Will Muschamp. No self-respecting program looking for a head coach will touch him with a 10 foot pole.
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:54 PM ^
You must have to sign away your soul to even cross the city limits into Gainesville. I'm so done with DJ Durkin. Our defensive play at the end of the season always seemed out of sorts to me given that we were top-ranked in D in so many categories the rest of the season. Now it's clear why. The dude is a snake - planning for and taking a job with a member of our own B1G division while he's clearly ignoring his team as it prepares for the OSU game? (It didn't look that great against Indiana either and I can't see that he made any adjustments whatsoever in any of those games.)
I don't think this will hurt us at all. We still have Jim Harbaugh and he will no doubt find someone even better than Durkin. His snake belly will be very comfortable slithering as a bottom dweller in the conference at Maryland. Who of any standing wants to play there anyway? Good riddance.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:06 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:57 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 6:59 PM ^
Just said that like 30 min ago. See above.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 6:57 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:11 PM ^
I felt the same way.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:01 PM ^
I'll be honest, I would have liked to see Durkin stay a bit longer. That being said, this information is already out there courtesy of the folks on the Terps beat, in the event anyone is interested -
D.J. Durkin's introductory press conference will be televised on @BigTenNetwork at 11 a.m. & will be streamed on BTN2Go.
— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) December 2, 2015
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:03 PM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 7:03 PM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 7:47 PM ^
He was never a srious candidate. Florida fans (I know plenty of them here) would have been furious if Foley hired him. He did well with their defense, but Muschamp was the guy running that D.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:03 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:04 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
I care that Durkin's focus on his next job impacted his performance in his current job. And that he's taking members of our staff. He hasn't developed the kind of goodwill at Michigan that makes it ok for him to steal members of the Michigan coaching staff.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:39 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 8:06 PM ^
You don't find it odd that one of the best rush defenses in the country for the first 9 games suddenly gets gashed for record-setting performances in 2 of the past 3 games? Or the fact that Durkin couldn't learn any lessons from the Indiana game to apply to the OSU game? Sorry, but hearing reports about Durkin interviewing during the week of the OSU game leads me to believe his heart wasn't fully in it.
December 2nd, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^
I think you have to go back to Bo's logic when he refused to let Frieder coach in the NCAA's in '89; you're either for Michigan or you're not. So when we see 42 points by OSU, possibly telling Dontavious Jackson he isn't going anywhere when in fact he is, the potential fallout with the New Jersey kids if Partridge leaves, we're seeing a negative impact for the team we're rooting for; no one is against Durkin or Partridge (or whoever else) upward mobility, but we are reacting to what is or could be happening to MICHIGAN here, and its not nothing.
Coaches who signed on to restore UM to greatness jumping ship less than one year in will absolutely get a response, and should.
December 3rd, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
Durkin is neither "taking" nor "stealing" anyone.
He ain't wrapping them up in chains and making them change jobs,
Any coaches that CHOOSE to go when OFFERED a job are adults, and completely responsible for their own choices.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:34 PM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 7:38 PM ^
Okay, I'll bite again: Its because its an incredibly short-sighted move.
Look at what Tom Herman did: He had a lot of success at multiple places then waited for the right job opportunity at a school where he could enjoy more success. Now he's one of the hottest names around.
Durkin is leaving to go to a place where he is going to get annhilated for 3-4 years and get fired. Even if he recruits his ass off (unlikely), he'll probably be gone by the time his players come of age. Think about it: He's in a division with Harbaugh, Dantonio and Meyer + Penn State. He's got - at best - the 5th best program in the division and he's playing from behind.
He might make more money for a few years, but its incredibly likely that in the long run he set his career wayyyyyyyyyy back.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:41 PM ^
In addition, I can't imagine he would ever be welcome back at Michigan. Had he stayed here two years, or even left this year with some class, he might have been a leading candidate for the Michigan HC job after Harbaugh is done (assuming DJ was successful as a HC). He has generated a lot of ill will here.
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:45 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 7:41 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:04 PM ^