Parents Worried 'Narcissistic Sociopath' College Coach Will Return
Grab your popcorn, folks, because just in time for Halloween, one of the biggest horror shows in college sports may be coming back for a spooky sequel.
“Narcissistic sociopath” coach D.J. Durkin of the University of Maryland football program, presumed defeated at the end of the first film when Maryland placed him on indefinite administrative leave in August, returns for “Terrapin Terror II: The Durkining,” coming soon to a sideline near you.
Granted, there’s been no official announcement from Maryland yet on that front, and the school continues to report that Durkin is, in fact, on administrative leave and will remain so.
But anonymous parents are taking a long look at that lakeside cabin in the woods and raising the alarm.
Durkin, of course, was deemed to have been partially responsible for the death of Maryland freshman Jordan McNair, who died of heatstroke during an outdoor workout on May 29.
In August, ESPN published a report in which players and staff members accused Durkin of creating a “toxic” work environment at the school, one that contributed to McNair’s death.
Durkin was placed on leave the next day.
Maryland Suspends Football Coach D.J. Durkin After Report of Abuse https://t.co/llBjAJDYIh
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 12, 2018
Strength and conditioning coach Rick Court ended up out of a job as a result of that culture, as he was the head bulldog behind what Bleacher Report called “belittling, name-calling, harassment and emasculation” — that last fortunately figurative — in practice.
Some anonymous Terrapin parents, speaking to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic (subscription required), are convinced that the investigation, which is supposed to be uncovering facts to determine whether Maryland has sufficient actionable cause to void Durkin’s contract, is nothing more than a sham that will be just another case of “we conducted a thorough investigation and found no wrongdoing” that is technically correct because nobody involved actually bothered to look under any rocks, the stereotypical case of Doing Something™ without ever actually doing something.
“We’re worried that it is all predetermined,” one parent told Auerbach. “That this is a whole charade meant to appease the people who feel like they have to say something.”
At another point, another parent put it more bluntly: “We are worried that this narcissistic sociopath is going to come back. To me, he should never coach again.”
The parents also claimed that players were coached in their media responses and intimidated into defending Durkin’s actions and the culture at the school.
Maryland President Wallace D. Loh did accept responsibility on behalf of the university for McNair’s death, and one would think that with the very real prospect of a wrongful-death lawsuit hanging over the head of the school, that would be sufficient evidence to put the onus upon Durkin.
But instead, it has only deepened the factional divide between pro- and anti-Durkin students, players, and fans in the Maryland sports world.
Durkin may, however, find himself in a water-under-the-bridge situation, as replacement coach Matt Canada’s getting more out of the team than Durkin ever did.
The Terrapins won just four games in 2017 in 12 tries.
Under Canada, they’ve won four in six; two more wins and they’re bowl eligible.
Even better, Canada led the team to a win over seventh-ranked Texas earlier in the year, lending further credence to the idea that Durkin’s practice regimen wasn’t just a potential lawsuit liability but not even a particularly effective form of coaching.
Any good horror movie tends to end when the bright light of truth shines on the villain, allowing the heroes to win a final battle and save the day.
And if the goal is to get rid of Durkin once and for all so that “Terrapin Terror III” never gets made, good old-fashioned winning football beats sham investigations every day…and twice on Saturday.
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