DJ Durkin

I'm here in Maryland.

He'll be terminated.

Luv2Run wrote:

The thread on Urban Meyer made me realize there is not thread on DJ Durkin, the Maryland football coach, who is currently suspended.

In case you do not know, a couple of months ago a player died during conditioning drills. The cause of death is listed as heat stroke.

The strength and conditioning coach has "resigned". The university has accepted responsibility and that proper procedures were not followed.

So does Durkin get fired? Suspended? or completely slide?

Terminated. This happened to a track kid trying out at NC A&T a while back. Entire staff was let go and I believe a good portion o f the athletic department too eventually.

ojlk wrote:

I'm here in Maryland.

He'll be terminated.

I'm here as well. I thinky he probably will go but maybe not. I said when they hired him, if he can't win here, no one can.

He was a real up and coming coach. I imagine he only took the job as he was opening to turn them into the Oregon of the East in the sense they have all of the flashy gear thanks to Undea Armour (Kevin Plank the founder of UA is a big UMD football guy).

The key, however, is to get things started. What people don't realize is they got a big win over Texas at Texas last year when people were acting like Herman was God. That would have gotten it started but then his 1st and 2nd string QBs went down and they weren't good. This was a huge year for him.

Then the kid tragically dies. And Americans want to blame people for everything.

The ESPN report comes out talking about a "toxic" culture and now everyone is going crazy.

I think people need to calm down.

I'll start by saying it sounds like the strength coach was an ass and over the top. That being said. No one is talking about the facts of the day. What no one is talking about is this was the 1st day of practice and the workout had just started and it wasn't some crazy freaking workout being led by a tyrant on a super hot day. That's what the media wants you to believe but the high on that day was just 82. The temperature was 80 degrees at 4:30 in College Park when the collapse happened. That's not very hot. I can see why a trainer wouldn't think a kid was having a heat stroke after doing 10 100 meter sprints at the start of a workout after a warmup.

So they start the workout and a kid can't finish the very first thing. The training staff incorrectly made a big mistake in not realizing he was having a heat stroke (i do think it was really humid that day) and the kid is tragically dead as they didn't dump him in an ice bucket as they thought he was having a seizure. I don't think they even had ice buckets out there - not good but again it was only 80 degrees so can people at least acknowledge that? (When they were dropping people in an ice bucket at world xc in Kenya Weldon thought it was primitive but then he learned it was 100% the thing you should do).

Durkin may go but to me it's a classic case of piling on and humans wanting to have someone to blame. It's the first day of practice, it's 80 degrees and you start things off with 10 100 meter sprints and you now Durkin's being viewed as a psychopath. To say that DJ Durkin caused this kid to die seems extreme. People are saying, "He couldn't stop due to the toxic culture." I doubt in any culture people would beg out of 10 100 meter sprints at the start of a workout in temperatures barely cracking 80.

When pro players commit crimes or die in practice, the head coach never gets fired. When it happens in college, they often do.

rojo wrote:

Then the kid tragically dies. And Americans want to blame people for everything.

The ESPN report comes out talking about a "toxic" culture and now everyone is going crazy.

I think people need to calm down.

It's ok you censured my post. I only intended for you to read it. Message delivered.

Note by Rojo. I didn't delete the post. A volunteer moderator did it as you were trying to turn a football thread into a political thread. Here is the post that was deleted.

WT F is wrong with you? This was an AVOIDABLE tragedy and the head coach is ultimately responsible.

You "conservatives" are just slowly turning into horrible, horrible people. Where's your humanity, rojo???

In MD also and while I'll wait for the report, I don't see the point in these preemptive mea culpas by the University. If the facts are as stated in your post (and that was my understanding as well) what would lead a reasonable person to conclude heat stroke? 8x100 doesn't cause heat stroke by itself.

Maybe other, as yet unreported, stressful activity occurred?

Or there were overt heat illness signs ignored ?

I don't know anything but the University seems to want to be way out in front of this one.

Echo-ing what rojo said, some people just die during workouts.

@rojo did you read any of the “toxic culture” stuff? It’s crazy!

Toxic Avenger wrote:

@rojo did you read any of the “toxic culture” stuff? It’s crazy!

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals. Another player says that there were videos of rams and bucks running at each other at full speed. Mr. Durkin maintains that horror movies were sometimes shown at breakfast to motivate and entertain players

Toxic Avenger wrote:

Toxic Avenger wrote:

@rojo did you read any of the “toxic culture” stuff? It’s crazy!

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals. Another player says that there were videos of rams and bucks running at each other at full speed. Mr. Durkin maintains that horror movies were sometimes shown at breakfast to motivate and entertain players

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/10/25/18024732/maryland-investigative-report-dj-durkin

In a different time or place Mr Durkin would be one of the following: Jack the Ripper, Emmett Till's murderers, Carlos Monzon, Idi Amin Dada, Pol Pot.

Toxic Avenger wrote:

Toxic Avenger wrote:

@rojo did you read any of the “toxic culture” stuff? It’s crazy!

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals. Another player says that there were videos of rams and bucks running at each other at full speed. Mr. Durkin maintains that horror movies were sometimes shown at breakfast to motivate and entertain players

Awful.

Coaching on fear is not the way to go.

Toxic Avenger wrote:

Toxic Avenger wrote:

@rojo did you read any of the “toxic culture” stuff? It’s crazy!

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals. Another player says that there were videos of rams and bucks running at each other at full speed. Mr. Durkin maintains that horror movies were sometimes shown at breakfast to motivate and entertain players

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/10/25/18024732/maryland-investigative-report-dj-durkin

Durkin is a disgusting piece of human garbage.

Had I found myself in the room with Mr. Durkin during out of his apparently many outbursts, it's unlikely he would have survived to see another day.

I'll bet.

rojo wrote:

I'll start by saying it sounds like the strength coach was an ass and over the top. That being said. No one is talking about the facts of the day. What no one is talking about is this was the 1st day of practice and the workout had just started and it wasn't some crazy freaking workout being led by a tyrant on a super hot day. That's what the media wants you to believe but the high on that day was just 82. The temperature was 80 degrees at 4:30 in College Park when the collapse happened. That's not very hot. I can see why a trainer wouldn't think a kid was having a heat stroke after doing 10 100 meter sprints at the start of a workout after a warmup.

.

Rojo, science was never your strong point. I've gone over this weather thingy dozens upon dozens times with you, and dozens upon dozens of times you simply are unable to grasp the concepts. 80° in the direct sun on an open football field means the surface temperature was much more than 80°. Additionally, the dew point was 70°, which is, by any standards, oppressive. Factor in wearing football gear and no breeze that fateful day, this is hot, dangerously hot. The moronic football culture that Durkin brought with him is another matter.

Boomer Esiason, has eloquently and passionately excoriated the Maryland football program since this tragedy. Perhaps its time for you to listen to someone who is more knowledgeable about football in general, and the Maryland program specifically? Perhaps wejo should tune into WFAN in the mornings and report back to you. Esiason is the grown-up in the room.

I was amazed that the Board recommended bringing him back. Some people said that was a "win at all cost" example, but the guy was 10-15 so not exactly setting the world on fire.

As for the death of Jordan McNair, the weather conditions were stressful on the day he died. He collapsed in those conditions, but maybe if the trainers and staff had acted appropriately he would still be alive today. Training in the summer is going to mean training in heat stress, a key is proper medical attention especially when a guy is not doing well.

Luv2Run wrote:

The thread on Urban Meyer made me realize there is not thread on DJ Durkin, the Maryland football coach, who is currently suspended.

In case you do not know, a couple of months ago a player died during conditioning drills. The cause of death is listed as heat stroke.

The strength and conditioning coach has "resigned". The university has accepted responsibility and that proper procedures were not followed.

So does Durkin get fired? Suspended? or completely slide?

For the record, all three happened. He was placed on admin leave (suspended), then slid and then was fired.

Luv2Run wrote:

I was amazed that the Board recommended bringing him back. Some people said that was a "win at all cost" example, but the guy was 10-15 so not exactly setting the world on fire.

.

Ultimately, the school President did the right thing the next day by overruling the board,-- even if his reversal was driven by the universal condemnation by students, faculty and the community.

malmo wrote:

Luv2Run wrote:

I was amazed that the Board recommended bringing him back. Some people said that was a "win at all cost" example, but the guy was 10-15 so not exactly setting the world on fire.

.

Ultimately, the school President did the right thing the next day by overruling the board,-- even if his reversal was driven by the universal condemnation by students, faculty and the community.

From what I have read the President (Loh) wanted Durkin gone. I am betting he was hoping the "independent" panel would come back with findings to allow Loh to fire Durkin for cause and not have to pay the $5M+ buyout. Once Loh announced he was retiring in June it gave him the freedom to can Durkin. Loh can point to football players walking out of the meeting when it was announced Durkin would be coming back, the planned student protest and, I heard reports, of several college Deans ripping into him.

I liked that Loh admitted Maryland failed in the McNair situation and did not try to hide behind apologizing without apologizing for the player's death. The lawyers probably did not like it, but then the University was going to lose a lawsuit no matter what. I think his actions will help in negotiating with the family for a settlement. I hope that the family pushes for reforms like the medical/athletic trainers not being under the the AD or coaches in terms of reporting.

More fall out...

The President of the Board of Regents for UM has stepped down.

https://sports.yahoo.com/maryland-foundation-says-boards-actions-may-dealt-fundraising-efforts-fatal-blow-201216125.html

Also, it looks like it was going to be far costlier to keep Durkin around than the buyout.

In addition, it was going to pretty hard to recruit if Durkin had been around. Sure some kids would go there but only if that was their only D1 offer. What mom would send her kid to that school with all the crap that has been alleged (even outside of the death of a player)?