Maryland Football Report
It looks to me like they are laying the groundwork to keep Durkin.
“The commission found that the Maryland football team did not have a ‘toxic culture,’ but it did have a culture where problems festered because too many players feared speaking out,” according to a copy of the report obtained Thursday by The Washington Post.
The commission found that “during Mr. Durkin’s tenure, the Athletics 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.”
October 25th, 2018 at 4:10 PM ^
"Pfffffft, it wasn't one of my players, just some lowly grad assistant."
- Brian Kelly
October 25th, 2018 at 8:51 PM ^
Kelly does have a track record as a head coach though. Durkin is 10-15.
October 25th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
"The athletic department...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." The man was a friggin D-1 coordinator and an interim head coach at Florida - I'd say there should have been an expectation that an athletic department would not need to "educate" a coach of his caliber at that level, it should be expected. Even so, what happened at Maryland is the very definition of having lack of accountability and a toxic culture.
October 25th, 2018 at 2:48 PM ^
I'm going to use that at my next performance review.
Clearly my poor performance is not my fault. Despite my 20 years of experience with the company, you did not provide me the proper tools, resources, and guidance to support me working at a Fortune 500 company.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
I better go get my education on how to not kill a kid before it's too late.
October 25th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
I see they've modeled their investigation after OSU's 'investigation'. I mean, "... did not have a ‘toxic culture,’ but it did have a culture where problems festered because too many players feared speaking out..." is not very different from 'he did not tell the truth, but he didn't intentionally lie'.
I've heard many times that the Maryland boosters want Durkin back, and it seems like this report will let him right back in the door. Maybe he'll have to dial back the animal feedings to just the breakfast meal?
October 25th, 2018 at 2:41 PM ^
Maryland football culture killed a young man. It is toxic in the most literal, extreme sense of the word.
October 25th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
Maybe the program practiced taking so much poison they were immune
October 25th, 2018 at 4:13 PM ^
Iocaine powder, I'd bet my life on it.
October 25th, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
Being afraid to speak your mind sounds pretty toxic to me.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
So, basically, they shifted the blame to the players.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
The "he just didn't know how to be a head coach" defense? Really?
The real question is whether the players even want him back. Seems to me, probably not.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
"He's not malicious, just a fool" reminds me of...someone.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
Your toxic football team killed one of its own players, and you still are not interested in learning the lessons from PSU, OSU, MSU, etc.? That getting rid of shitty people is always a good idea?
October 25th, 2018 at 3:12 PM ^
I just don't get it.
I could see the ill-conceived logic in trying to keep a high quality coach who fucked up as badly as Durkin. I wouldn't agree with it, but I could see it.
But he isn't even a proven quality coach. He projects out as a mediocrity at Maryland. There's zero point in keeping him. You should be doing everything possible to turn the page and move on to a new chapter.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^
Cue the floodgate of transfers from Maryland.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
Living in Maryland, what I'm hearing is that the trainers/medical staff don't report to Durkin.. they reported up the chain of command outside the football office. So, if the death is on them, by not icing him down, not calling 911 until 1 hour after he had a seizure.. it's not on Durkin. I'm not saying I agree/disagree, just what some of the people around here are saying.
October 25th, 2018 at 4:02 PM ^
That has shades of Hoke/Morris written on it. Just gives me bad memories of what an incompetent staff is capable of.
The other items in the report speak volumes about what went on behind the scenes, none of which was under the control of the medical staff. It all speaks to what happens at an institution when silence is put first - protect the program at all costs. It’s disgusting. Boys get raped, girls get sexually molested, girls get raped, and in this case - someone died. This is just another very sad example of what that type of culture can do. Burn it down and salt the earth.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
How exactly do you define "toxic culture"? Is there like 1 definition that we could all compare this situation against? Or is it like "toxic masculinity" where it can be whatever the author determines fits the narrative? Not saying Maryland is in the right here, but feels like a little too much emphasis placed on one phrase. The report does lay out quite a few areas where people fell short of what should have been done.
Regardless, I think you cut him and start clean. Better for everyone.
October 25th, 2018 at 3:34 PM ^
Gonna play Devil's advocate for a minute...
I'm going to just look at the actual incident that caused all of this, and ignore any other findings about the culture (which I know is a HUGE part.)
I don't believe that death of the player was Durkin's fault. The player was not pushed until he died. In fact, I don't believe that to be possible. He died because of the inadequate care he received after the workout. Also, the parents did not release the autopsy information which means that it came back with evidence that this was more a freak incident. Maybe the player had a pre-existing condition. Either way, D1 athletes condition HARD. I don't necessarily think there is any proof that the individual was pushed harder than other athletes, however again, I think the treatment he received afterwords was minimal and the real cause of death. I also find the fact that some players spoke out against him afterwords to be expected of any program. Not every player is going to be happy, and when given a chance to speak out against the head coach, I would imagine some would speak out whether the culture was toxic or not.
To be clear, I don't think Maryland should retain Durkin. I don't really understand the reasoning. But I also don't think Durkin is pure evil like he is being made out to be. He seems over the top which attracts fair criticism, but I think if people saw behind the scenes of every program there would be more instances of that than people might think.
October 25th, 2018 at 5:59 PM ^
I wonder how much the potential mindset of - "make things difficult on those who aren't working out here, so they get with it or leave" - to get a player to transfer is behind Durkin's leadership style. Used to be that BIG 10 scholarships weren't guaranteed for four years - JoePa was know to push players out after year 2 if he thought they were not going to be a starter. Now a guy can stay and sit on the bench if he stays out of trouble.
Maryland thinks they are a better CFB draw than they probably are to recruits. Yes, they've gotten some good recruits, but PSU has been a main draw from that area too.
I think a negotiated buyout is in order - based on what I read, Durkin is not blamed 100% but is not exonerated either.
The guy would benefit from a change in scenery after this. Maybe the Oklahoma DC job.
The assistant coaches who have been suspended (or told to leave) are really going to have to find a new career.
October 25th, 2018 at 8:55 PM ^
There could be any number of reasons why the parents wouldn’t want the autopsy information released. I wouldn’t assume it exonerates the staff.
October 25th, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^
From some of the comments by the Maryland booster who was blaming Jordan McNair for his own death, McNair barely ate anything that day and didn't drink the gallon of water he was supposed to before the practice. There is ample evidence that players who were over weight were belittled and ridiculed. Rick Court has already resigned, but everything I've read points to his being Durkin's hand picked man either directly encouraging Court's approach or not doing anything to reign him in. To me it's more likely than not that McNair didn't eat or drink more to help keep his weight down as a result of some of the tactics Court was employing. That is a toxic culture and was a contributing factor in McNair's death, and unless Court was acting alone without even tacit approval from Durkin, Durkin is a key part of the toxic culture.
October 25th, 2018 at 5:48 PM ^
I personally think it’s the other way and they don’t want any more issues or lawsuits. They w fire him for losing games and they can move on. Firing him w cause a shit show again and will kill what momentum they have. It will play out and he will be gone sooner then later
October 25th, 2018 at 6:14 PM ^
This is just a bad decision. Not only does it sweep the issue under the rug but Canada has saved their ass.
The program has stability for now but I think they lose the locker room if they bring Durkin back. And recruits....
October 25th, 2018 at 6:39 PM ^
Coaches aren’t actually in charge of anything if you listen to consultancy investigations from the last year.
The buck stops....somewhere! Maybe!
October 25th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^
Non-toxic yeah right. Even with that in the report I'll still bet Durkin is gone. Doesn't even admit to supervising the person he hired and gave a contract saying he (Durkin) supervised him??? Maybe toss in a garbage can of vomit as a parting gift.
October 25th, 2018 at 11:44 PM ^
Fuck crab cakes
October 26th, 2018 at 12:02 AM ^
I’m sorry Indiana isn’t a hot bed for football prospects, basketball yes football hell no. I’ve lived there it’s not a football hot bed. You act like it’s comparable to TX, FL, GA, Cali or even Shitohio. Dude your way off.
October 26th, 2018 at 8:03 AM ^
"The football program had a culture where literally everything was toxic, but we conclude it wasn't a toxic culture.."