{"id":17823,"date":"2018-10-31T23:57:30","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T23:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2018\/10\/31\/u-of-maryland-says-it-will-part-ways-with-head-football-coach-dj-durkin\/"},"modified":"2018-10-31T23:57:30","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T23:57:30","slug":"u-of-maryland-says-it-will-part-ways-with-head-football-coach-dj-durkin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/u-of-maryland-says-it-will-part-ways-with-head-football-coach-dj-durkin\/","title":{"rendered":"U. Of Maryland Says It Will 'Part Ways' With Head Football Coach DJ Durkin"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Vanessa Romo<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n University of Maryland head coach DJ Durkin was fired on Wednesday, a day after officials announced he could keep his job. He is pictured in November 2016.<\/p>\n

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Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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A day after they said they wouldn’t, the University System of Maryland’s board of regents has fired DJ Durkin as coach of the Terrapins, university president Wallace Loh announced in a statement on Wednesday. <\/p>\n

“A departure is in the best interest of the University, and this afternoon Coach Durkin was informed that the University will part ways,” Loh wrote in a letter<\/a> addressed to the University of Maryland community. <\/p>\n

Severing ties with Durkin was a “difficult” decision, Loh said, but added, “it is the right one for our entire University.” <\/p>\n

Durkin has been accused of fostering an unhealthy culture of bullying among the team, before the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair earlier this year. <\/p>\n

“The chair of the Board of Regents has publicly acknowledged that I had previously raised serious concerns about Coach Durkin’s return. This is not at all a reflection of my opinion of Coach Durkin as a person,” Loh wrote. <\/p>\n