Maryland Football Culture: Toxic

[LKEEL75 2,566]

3 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

UM has accepted responsibility in the death of Jordan McNair this summer.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24374654/maryland-terrapins-accept-responsibility-mistakes-made-death-jordan-mcnair

WOW!!!  That is HUGE!

That lawsuit is going to be enormous!

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

1 minute ago, LKEEL75 said:

WOW!!!  That is HUGE!

 

I almost wonder if they did it for litigation purposes.  Probably allows them to make a financial deal with the family without getting drug through court and looking insensitive.

[AU64 10,122]

11 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

UM has accepted responsibility in the death of Jordan McNair this summer.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24374654/maryland-terrapins-accept-responsibility-mistakes-made-death-jordan-mcnair

Gotta give the school president credit.....he did not hide behind some weasel worded statement....school took full blame...  

[augolf1716 21,164]

2 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

I almost wonder if they did it for litigation purposes.  Probably allows them to make a financial deal with the family without getting drug through court and looking insensitive.

agree 

[aujeff11 6,243]

2 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

I almost wonder if they did it for litigation purposes.  Probably allows them to make a financial deal with the family without getting drug through court and looking insensitive.

Yeah, litigation and optics purposes. Fighting the lawsuit and nitpicking could’ve negatively influenced the outside perception of the program.

[Tiger 8,826]

Am I the only one wondering what's going on at AU that Byron Cowart left to goto this program? The rumors were he couldn't handle the derecruitmemt process, right? 

Before anyone flames the hell out of me I'm not saying or insinuating anything near as grotesque or close to over the line like this is happening here but it just made me wonder because damn, Durkin and Court seem like scum. Someone freaking died under their watch and they didn't even call for medical help until an hour later!!!!!!! WHAT THE EFF

[AU64 10,122]

29 minutes ago, Tiger said:

Am I the only one wondering what's going on at AU that Byron Cowart left to goto this program? The rumors were he couldn't handle the derecruitmemt process, right? 

Before anyone flames the hell out of me I'm not saying or insinuating anything near as grotesque or close to over the line like this is happening here but it just made me wonder because damn, Durkin and Court seem like scum. Someone freaking died under their watch and they didn't even call for medical help until an hour later!!!!!!! WHAT THE EFF

Bad judgment by them....apparently underestimated the seriousness of the situation.   That can happen I guess ….but what happened afterward and how that was handled is what has the school where it is.....at least that's how I read the situation.    

Without the death of this player, the coach could have continued on being an a**h*** as long as they were doing stuff like beating Texas or whatever.  We see that "tolerance" at lots of schools as long as they are winning.....but when the winning stops, all of a sudden fans and administration start worrying about players being treated with respect.  

[Tiger 8,826]

49 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Bad judgment by them....apparently underestimated the seriousness of the situation.   That can happen I guess ….but what happened afterward and how that was handled is what has the school where it is.....at least that's how I read the situation.    

Without the death of this player, the coach could have continued on being an a**h*** as long as they were doing stuff like beating Texas or whatever.  We see that "tolerance" at lots of schools as long as they are winning.....but when the winning stops, all of a sudden fans and administration start worrying about players being treated with respect.  

Very true. Good points. I'm just wondering how our staff deals with players because I've had multiple friends fortunate and talented enough to receive scholarships at d-1 schools tell me similar stories of intimidation by coaching staffs. Not to this type of level like throwing weights but still some things that make me curious to how our staff interacts with the kids. 

Like, you don't need to treat me like an *** for me to get the point, dude. I understand tough coaching but there's a line. 

Even with Coach Garner, the players once they leave speak glowingly of him, and he's apparently the most hard nosed coach we have so I don't think there's actual mistreatment going on

[AU64 10,122]

5 minutes ago, Tiger said:

Like, you don't need to treat me like an *** for me to get the point, dude. I understand tough coaching but there's a line

I'm thinking that is how "processing" works at lots of schools.     A player is judged to be "surplus material"....so pressure is applied to basically force him out by means of a transfer......and most kids are smart enough to keep their mouths shut and avoid being blackballed when they start looking around for a new school. 

Watched a little of the "last chance U" programs and after seeing what is allowed to be filmed and shown, gotta wonder what else goes on behind the scenes that does not make it to final version. 

[Tiger 8,826]

Just now, AU64 said:

I'm thinking that is how "processing" works at lots of schools.     A player is judged to be "surplus material"....so pressure is applied to basically force him out by means of a transfer......and most kids are smart enough to keep their mouths shut and avoid being blackballed when they start looking around for a new school. 

Watched a little of the "last chance U" programs and after seeing what is allowed to be filmed and shown, gotta wonder what else goes on behind the scenes that does not make it to final version. 

The fact that some Maryland coaches referred to some players are "theives" to their faces for "stealing" scholarship money because they weren't as good as the coaches thought made me feel some sort of way 

[BJCrawford 1,568]

We have often joked on here about Malzahn’s War Dern Eagle or Beat the dog crap out of a team. However, in light of this type of news, I’m very glad he is extreme the other way.  Could end up being a good recruiting pitch (and before anyone reminds me, yes I know he needs to win in addition to being a nice guy?).

[McLoofus 35,182]

22 hours ago, Tiger said:

Even with Coach Garner, the players once they leave speak glowingly of him, and he's apparently the most hard nosed coach we have so I don't think there's actual mistreatment going on

I think Coach G offers a lot of love away from the field, and I think maybe that's what sets him apart from a lot of other hard nosed guys. Pure speculation on my part, but I think for example that he's going to coach the ever-loving hell out of Coynis Miller at practice and he's going to check in on him to see how he's doing personally a lot away from the field. That kind of stuff. 

22 hours ago, BJCrawford said:

We have often joked on here about Malzahn’s War Dern Eagle or Beat the dog crap out of a team. However, in light of this type of news, I’m very glad he is extreme the other way.  Could end up being a good recruiting pitch (and before anyone reminds me, yes I know he needs to win in addition to being a nice guy?).

Spot on. I bet Momma Worm would have something to say about that. He goes after, and gets a certain kind of guy. Lawson, Brown, Shivers, tons of other guys... they come to Auburn because of how different the experience is. And I honestly believe that the culture Gus has instilled is a 12th man of sorts. It's one of the things we really have to appreciate about the guy. 

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

2 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I think Coach G offers a lot of love away from the field, and I think maybe that's what sets him apart from a lot of other hard nosed guys. Pure speculation on my part, but I think for example that he's going to coach the ever-loving hell out of Coynis Miller at practice and he's going to check in on him to see how he's doing personally a lot away from the field. That kind of stuff. 

Spot on. I bet Momma Worm would have something to say about that. He goes after, and gets a certain kind of guy. Lawson, Brown, Shivers, tons of other guys... they come to Auburn because of how different the experience is. And I honestly believe that the culture Gus has instilled is a 12th man of sorts. It's one of the things we really have to appreciate about the guy. 

It's all a part of being an Auburn Man, part of why he is our head coach today, and fundamentally what makes Auburn different from other schools. We have always strived to be successful on our own terms; on the football field, in the classroom, in the workplace. Morality has been synonymous with Auburn core values sense even before George Petrie penned the Auburn Creed.

[DAG 33,983]

Just crazy tbh. Dude should be fired and definitely sued . I am all for discipline and toughness , but there needs to be a balance of mentoring , love and guidance .

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

When Willie Taggert was hired at Oregon, they had a few kids get sent to the hospital and almost died. Taggert and the S&C coach Irele Oderinde had a difficult time dancing around it, but they did. However it wasn't near the same scale of Maryland. 

[Mike4AU 1,739]

I think MD is going to have a major house cleaning.  Prez, AD and HC will be axed, IMO. 

[bigbird 60,529]

On 8/14/2018 at 3:21 PM, Brad_ATX said:

UM has accepted responsibility in the death of Jordan McNair this summer.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24374654/maryland-terrapins-accept-responsibility-mistakes-made-death-jordan-mcnair

Good for them

[aujeff11 6,243]

14 hours ago, Mike4AU said:

I think MD is going to have a major house cleaning.  Prez, AD and HC will be axed, IMO. 

Maybe but I don’t think it’s necessary to fire the Prez and AD if they didnt know or cover anything up. While the mob is at it, they might as well go after the landscapers and the graduate assistant teachers. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

Apparently Durkin keeps his job. 

There were investigations done and the commission said that the culture in tbe program wasn’t toxic, but the meat of tbe report said otherwise. 

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25128085/maryland-board-recommends-keeping-dj-durkin-damon-evans

[CR 2,442]

That Maryland Board deserves to be raked over the coals. Hard to see any way this can possibly be worked out for the betterment of Maryland University. I guess the strength coach is the sacrificial lamb?

[AUBwins 10,075]

I find this ruling despicable. 

[aubiefifty 16,793]

Maryland board recommends reinstating football coach DJ Durkin

Updated Oct 30, 3:32 PM; Posted Oct 30, 3:16 PM

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2017, file photo, Maryland head coach DJ Durkin watches the first half of an NCAA college football game against Penn State in College Park, Md. An external investigation of the Maryland football program under coach Durkin has determined that the team "did not have a toxic culture," but was problematic enough to where players feared speaking out. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) (Patrick Semansky)

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By David Ginsburg

BALTIMORE (AP) — The University System of Maryland board of regents has recommended that Terrapins coach DJ Durkin retain his job, opening the door for him to return to the team as soon as this week.

"We believe coach Durkin has been unfairly blamed for the dysfunction in the athletic department," said Jim Brady, chairman of the board of regents. "He has acknowledged his role in the athletic department's shortcomings."

Durkin has been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 11, following the death of a player who collapsed during practice and an investigation of bullying by the Maryland coaching staff.

The investigation cited University President Wallace Loh and athletic director Damon Evans as having a part in the troubled program, but Brady said the board recommended both men be retained.

The recommendation by the board of regents Tuesday comes after the release of 198-page external report on the culture of the program.

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada is serving as interim head coach. The Terrapins are 5-3 under his guidance heading into Saturday's home game against Michigan State.

The 40-year-old Durkin was poised to enter his third year at Maryland when offensive lineman Jordan McNair was overcome by heat and exhaustion on May 29 and died on June 13.

Hours before the news conference, Canada held his weekly session with the media in College Park.

He intended to stick to the planned schedule for the day, which called for a practice session that was slated to start while the board of regents discussed their findings.

"We'll be on the field at 3:45," Canada said. "We're going to practice. We're going to do what we do. That's all we can do. We're going to keep going."

Canada, who's never been a college head coach, said the players have handled as well as anyone could have expected.

"They're awesome," Canada said. "They deserve a tremendous amount of credit for playing hard. This is really the loss of their teammate, the loss of Jordan. For a bunch of young guys, they've learned how to mourn. The way this has transpired, we as a staff, as a program, couldn't be more proud of our players."

Maryland's football program has been under multiple reviews for months.

Evans said in August that an investigation revealed that the 19-year-old McNair "did not receive appropriate medical care, and mistakes were made by some of our athletic training personnel."

An external investigation released on Sept. 21 confirmed the medical staff on the scene did not act properly in the treatment of McNair at the scene. The 74-page report stated that more than an hour passed between when McNair began experiencing symptoms of heatstroke and when school officials called 911 to report a medical emergency.

Weeks earlier, Evans and Loh personally apologized to McNair's parents.

"They entrusted their son to us, and he did not return home," Loh said.

Strength and conditioning coach Rick Court resigned in August, and two members of the athletic training staff remain on administrative leave.

In the wake of the death of the 6-foot-4, 325-pound McNair, an ESPN story reported that the Maryland coaching staff engaged in physical and mental abuse of the players.

That led to an investigation of the culture of the program overseen by the board of regents. The board selected an eight-person commission to handle the probe.

Earlier, Evans declared: "Make no mistake, we will not tolerate any behavior from any employee within Maryland athletics that is detrimental to the mental or physical well-being of our student-athletes."

Durkin signed a five-year contract with Maryland in December 2015 after serving one season as defensive coordinator at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh. The Terrapins went 6-7 in his first season, losing to Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl, then fell to 4-8 in 2017 while coping with injuries to three different quarterbacks.

Durkin began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 2001 under Urban Meyer after playing four seasons there as a defensive end and outside linebacker.

He served three years as an assistant coach at Stanford from 2007-9 and was at Florida from 2010-14, spending the last two years as the Gators defensive coordinator.

[Tiger 8,826]

Duuuuude why is Maryland even entertaining the idea of keeping him. Wash yours hands of this and move forward!

People had already basically forgotten about this, from a national perspective, and they could've made a new hire at the end of the year making minimal waves in regards to this horrible incident, but nope they just wanted to make sure it was on everyone's mind LOLLL

[meh130 1,043]

The report has made Durkin toxic.

I wonder how many of his assistants will be looking for new jobs at the end of the season.

Recruiting will likely be destroyed for several years by this report.

There is no way they will ever give Durkin a contract extension or raise.

The impact to recruiting, the impact to assistant coach hiring, and the likelihood of no contract extension mean a decline of the program, and in a couple of years Durkin will be fired. At that point, no serious school will hire him.

We think Leath screwed up with Malzahn's contract last year? Well there is a worse administration than Auburn out there.

[Auburn Kev 1,653]