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SPORTS Thursday 1 November 2018
Maryland fires coach DJ Durkin day after reinstatement

By DAVID GINSBURG department.” athletes.”
AP Sports Writer Prior to the news of Durkin’s The decision to reinstate
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — dismissal, Gov. Larry Hogan Durkin did not sit well with
DJ Durkin’s return as Mary- demanded the board and students, either.
land’s football coach last- Loh participate in a pub- On Thursday, the Execu-
ed one day. lic meeting to explain how tive Board of the Maryland
Durkin was fired Wednes- they arrived at the conclu- Student Government As-
day evening, just over 24 sion to retain the coach. sociation planned an on-
hours after being reinstated “The University System of campus rally after saying it
by the school. Maryland has let down was “outraged with the de-
Instead of resolving the is- the University of Maryland cisions made by the board
sues facing the flawed pro- community and the citizens of regents.”
gram, the decision by the of Maryland,’ Hogan said in That protest likely won’t be
University System of Mary- statement, “and now is the necessary anymore.
land board of regents on In this Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, file photo, Maryland head coach time to fix it.” Durkin and Evans were on
Tuesday to retain Durkin DJ Durkin stands on the sideline during an NCAA college football Hogan wasn’t the only poli- the job when offensive
and athletic director Da- game against Towson in College Park, Md. tician looking for answers. lineman Jordan McNair
mon Evans created a dif- Associated Press Del. Maggie McIntosh, collapsed on the practice
ferent set of problems in the ternoon Coach Durkin was dinator at Michigan, Dur- a Baltimore Democrat field on May 29 and died
wake of a player’s death informed that the University kin had a 10-15 record at who chairs the House Ap- of heatstroke on June 13.
and discontent engulfing will part ways,” Loh wrote. Maryland. The Terrapins propriations Committee, The attorney for the family
the football team. “This is a difficult decision, went 6-7 in his first season, planned a hearing on Nov. has said Durkin should have
Several state officials called but it is the right one for our losing to Boston College in 15 in Annapolis to “shine been fired and is reviewing
for Durkin to be fired, and entire University.” the Quick Lane Bowl, then more light” on the decision- legal options.
one called the decision to Loh’s action was immedi- fell to 4-8 in 2017 while cop- making process that led After McNair’s death, the
retain him an “embarrass- ately met with approval ing with injuries to three dif- to the retirement of Loh — board of regents called for
ment.” Maryland President by Maryland Congressman ferent quarterbacks. Durkin who announced Tuesday an independent investiga-
Wallace Loh fired Durkin Anthony G. Brown. began his coaching career his decision to step down tion of the circumstance
after conferring with the “Dr. Loh’s firing of Coach as a graduate assistant at in June 2019 — while the that led to the player
leadership of the Student Durkin is the right decision Bowling Green in 2001 after coach and other athletic death’s and an external
Government Association, and the decision that had playing four seasons there staff remained. review of the football pro-
the Senate Executive Com- to be made if the UMD as a defensive end and “Obviously the regents had gram.
mittee, deans, department community was going to outside linebacker. their press conference, and Several media outlets re-
chairs and campus lead- ever move forward,” Brown He served three years as it actually has raised a lot ported that at least three
ership. “The overwhelming said. an assistant coach at Stan- more questions and is get- players walked out of a
majority of stakeholders Durkin’s dismissal comes ford from 2007-9 and was ting quite a strong reaction team meeting with Durkin
expressed serious concerns while he was in the third at Florida from 2010-14, from policy makers, leg- on Tuesday, and offen-
about Coach DJ Durkin season of a five-year, $12.5 spending the last two years islators and frankly, even sive lineman Ellis McKennie
returning to the campus,” million contract he signed as the Gators defensive co- the public,” she said. “I’ve blasted the board of re-
Loh wrote in a statement. in December 2015. He will ordinator. heard words like ‘perplex- gents’ decision on Twitter.
“The chair of the Board of be owed about $5.5 million, Durkin was placed on ad- ing,’ ‘shocking.’” Loh’s leadership was ad-
Regents has publicly ac- according to buyout terms ministrative leave Aug. Hogan’s opponent in the dressed in both investi-
knowledged that I had of his contract. 11 while board of regents November election, Demo- gations, and he did not
previously raised serious Matt Canada is expected waited for the results of an crat Ben Jealous, wrote in a emerge completely un-
concerns about Coach to resume the role of in- investigation on the culture statement, “The University scathed. He did personally
Durkin’s return. This is not at terim coach. Maryland is of the program. of Maryland has become apologize to McNair’s par-
all a reflection of my opin- 5-3 heading into Saturday’s After receiving that report, a national embarrassment ents in August, saying Mary-
ion of Coach Durkin as a home game against Michi- the board decided to bring for putting the agenda of a land would take “legal and
person. However, a depar- gan State. him back, saying he was few wealthy football boost- moral responsibility” for the
ture is in the best interest of Hired after serving one “unfairly blamed for the ers ahead of the health circumstances leading to
the University, and this af- season as defensive coor- dysfunction in the athletic and safety of its student their son’s death.q
NYCFC advances out of knockout round with 3-1 victory

NEW YORK (AP) — Maximil- the first game scheduled side the penalty area in the
iano Moralez had two big for Sunday in New York. 26th. Moralez made it 3-0 in
assists on first-half goals and In the 10th minute, Moralez the 78th when he ran on to
added a score of his own sent a pass forward that a long ball from Anton Tin-
in the second half to help Villa flicked off his heel to nerholm and lobbed it over
NYCFC advance out of the Tajouri-Shradi, who turned it charging Union goalie An-
MLS knockout round with a into a 22-yard line drive into dre Blake from 12 yards.
3-1 victory over the Phila- the upper left-hand corner Philadelphia avoided the
delphia Union on Wednes- of the net for a 1-0 lead. shutout when Ilsinho sent a
day night. On a counterattack fol- short pass into the middle
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi and lowing a turnover, Ronald of the 6-yard box for an
David Villa scored first-half Matarrita passed to Mo- easy goal by Cory Burke in
goals and NYCFC moved ralez charging down the the 83th.
forward to play second- left side. Moralez sent the NYCFC beat Philadelphia Philadelphia Union’s Borek Dockal, Auston Trusty (26) and Haris
seeded Atlanta United in a ball to Villa, who slotted in on the final day of the regu- Medunjanin defend against a direct kick by New York City FC
forward David Villa (7) during the first half of an MLS playoff
two-game Eastern Confer- his team-leading 15th goal lar season Sunday, also by soccer match Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018, in New York.
ence semifinal series, with of the season from just out- a 3-1 score.q Associated Press