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Report: D.J. Durkin To Be Hired As Maryland’s New Head Coach
D.J. Durkin will reportedly be hired as Maryland's new head coach, according to a report from Pete Thamel of SI.
December 2, 2015
Another open FBS head coaching position is off the market. On Wednesday, Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated reported that the Maryland Terrapins have decided to hire Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin as their new coach.
Source: D.J. Durkin will be the next coach at Maryland.
— Pete Thamel (@SIPeteThamel) December 2, 2015
Durkin was hired as Michigan’s DC by Jim Harbaugh this past season.
Prior to that, he spent the 2013-14 season as the Florida Gators’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Will Muschamp. He coached the Gators to a win in the Birmingham Bowl following last season as the team’s interim coach.
At 37 years old, Durkin is considered one of the brightest young defensive minds in the game. This will be the first head coaching stop of his career.
Fiutak’s Quick Take
Follow: @petefiutak
It’s not Mark Richt, and it’s not a big A-list name, but Durkin is a rock-solid defensive coordinator who’ll get his shot at a full-time job. Having worked under some superstar head coaches, he’s ready.
He helped Florida’s D rock under both Urban Meyer and later Will Muschamp – and stepped in for Muschamp in last year’s Birmingham Bowl and got the win – and then he spent a year as Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan.
The former Bowling Green defensive lineman is only going to be 38 by the time the season starts, and while he might be upwardly mobile in terms of his coaching prospects, he should instantly give the Terps a shot in the defensive arm.
