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D.J. Durkin fired: 5 candidates to be the next Maryland coach

By Brad Berreman

COLLEGE PARK, MD - OCTOBER 28: Head Coach DJ Durkin of the Maryland Terrapins watches the game against the Indiana Hoosiers on October 28, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - OCTOBER 28: Head Coach DJ Durkin of the Maryland Terrapins watches the game against the Indiana Hoosiers on October 28, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images /

After an obvious pivot to firing D.J. Durkin, here are five candidates to be the next head coach at Maryland.

Somehow, if only for 24 hours or so, D.J. Durkin survived to come back as Maryland’s football coach after an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Jordan McNair. But driven by public backlash, a turn for logic came and Durkin was fired on Wednesday.

Durkin had been on administrative leave all season, which seemed to be a precursor to being let go once the investigation into McNair’s death came to a full conclusion. Wins and losses don’t matter in a situation like that, but the Terrapins were 10-15 in Durkin’s two seasons as head coach as a mid-tier Big Ten program.

The Terrapins went to a bowl game in Durkin’s first season, before injuries helped bring a 4-8 mark last year. But a couple of strong recruiting classes brought in by Durkin, and a fertile local area to recruit from makes the Maryland job an appealing opening. Being in the Big Ten East with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State stands as a reason the job would lose some appeal.

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada stepped in as an interim head coach when Durkin was placed on leave, and he’ll continue in that capacity for the rest of the season now. But here are five candidates to be next permanent football coach at Maryland.

5. Matt Canada

All things considered, Maryland’s 5-3 record heading into Saturday’s game against Michigan State is a credit to Canada. The toughest part of the schedule, with Michigan State, Ohio State (Nov. 17) and Penn State (Nov. 24) on the slate, but a win over Indiana on Nov. 10 is all that’s needed to earn bowl eligibility.

There is no sign Canada had any involvement with the situation surrounding McNair. But even if there’s some guilt by association with Durkin, Canada should get a chance to permanently replace his former boss.

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