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University of Maryland Football Coach DJ Durkin Fired One Day After Reinstatement

DJ Durkin had been under scrutiny since the death of 19-year-old player Jordan McNair earlier this year.

The University of Maryland fired its football coach, DJ Durkin, on Wednesday, The Washington Post reports. The university’s Board of Regents on Tuesday had reinstated Durkin, who had been on administrative leave since Aug. 11, following the death of 19-year-old football player Jordan McNair, who collapsed and died in June after suffering heatstroke during practice. It was later found that McNair was taken away in an ambulance an hour and a half after he started showing symptoms. Subsequent reports alleged the football team, under Durkin’s watch, had a “toxic” culture. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan reportedly expressed concern about the Board of Regents’ reinstatement, saying he was “deeply troubled by the lack of transparency.” The Post reports the board gave university president Wallace Loh an “ultimatum of sorts: If he wanted to finish the school year and reach the end of his contract, he had to keep Durkin.” In a statement, Loh said the decision to let Durkin go was “difficult.” “I will devote the remaining months of my presidency to advancing the needed reforms in our Athletic Department that prioritize the safety and well-being of our student-athletes,” he said.