Maryland HC DJ Durkin Placed on Admin Leave After Player Died. Toxic Culture Alleged

The University of Maryland has placed football coach DJ Durkin on paid administrative leave as it investigates allegations of abuse and disparagement in the program and the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair.
Athletic director Damon Evans announced the move Saturday, saying offensive coordinator Matt Canada will serve as the team's interim coach. Canada is a first-year assistant hired in January after he spent a year as LSU's offensive coordinator. He had made coordinator stops at Pitt, NC State, Wisconsin, Indiana and Northern Illinois.

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Maryland announced Saturday that head football coach DJ Durkin has been placed on administrative leave after reports of a toxic environment within his program. This came after three staff members were also put on leave following an ESPN report that detailed a coaching environment based on fear and intimidation within the program and questions about the workout that led to the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair.
Here is a timeline of events that has resulted in Maryland's decision to place Durkin on leave:

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Several current University of Maryland football players and people close to the Terrapins program describe a toxic coaching culture under head coach DJ Durkin before offensive lineman Jordan McNair's death in June after a football workout.
McNair, who was 19, died two weeks after being hospitalized following a May 29 team workout. He collapsed after running 110-yard sprints, showing signs of extreme exhaustion and difficulty standing upright. No official cause of death has been released, but ESPN reported Friday that he died of heatstroke suffered during the workout and had a body temperature of 106 degrees after being taken to a hospital.

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• There is a coaching environment based on fear and intimidation. In one example, a player holding a meal while in a meeting had the meal slapped out of his hands in front of the team. At other times, small weights and other objects were thrown in the direction of players when Court was angry.
  
• The belittling, humiliation and embarrassment of players is common. In one example, a player whom coaches wanted to lose weight was forced to eat candy bars as he was made to watch teammates working out.
  
• Extreme verbal abuse of players occurs often. Players are routinely the targets of obscenity-laced epithets meant to mock their masculinity when they are unable to complete a workout or weight lift, for example. One player was belittled verbally after passing out during a drill.
  
• Coaches have endorsed unhealthy eating habits and used food punitively; for example, a player said he was forced to overeat or eat to the point of vomiting.

After ESPN requested interviews with Maryland officials and provided details about its reporting on McNair's death and the football culture, a university spokesperson on Friday afternoon said, "The University of Maryland has placed members of our athletics staff on administrative leave pending the outcome of the external review." No further details were provided.
Although grueling workouts, expletive-laced rants and hot-tempered coaches aren't unusual in college sports programs, those who have been at Maryland told ESPN that what they saw or experienced under Durkin has been excessive. The current players said they had talked with multiple players who described similar views about the team's culture but feared repercussions if they talked publicly. The two players spoke on the condition of anonymity.
A former Maryland staff member said: "I would never, ever, ever allow my child to be coached there."

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Bazza said:

That player died 2 months ago.

Seems like a lot of the news articles makes it sound like this just happened.

Look at the thread title, for example.....

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