COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Members of the Maryland athletic staff were placed on administrative leave Friday pending the outcome of a review of the death of football player Jordan McNair in June.
The decision came after an ESPN story, citing unidentified sources, described a program led by head coach D.J. Durkin, and strength and conditioning coach Rick Court rife with verbal abuse and player humiliation.
In a statement to ESPN, Maryland said the alleged behavior of Durkin and Court was “troubling and not consistent with our approach to coaching and development of our student athletes.”
McNair was hospitalized May 29 after an organized team workout and died June 13. The lawyer for the McNair family, Billy Murphy, criticized how Maryland’s athletic staff responded to McNair falling ill and told ESPN a lawsuit was likely.
Athletic Director Damon Evans said it was around 80 degrees when the workouts began and the players were told to run 10 110-yard sprints. Evans said 6-foot-4, 325-pound McNair completed the workout but then had trouble breathing. After he was taken to the football team house, paramedics were called.
THE U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that allows states to legalize sports gambling has sparked a debate about requiring injury reports in college football.
NCAA leaders are analyzing whether it’s possible to have more medical transparency to prevent collusion and be more consistent. That’s a tough task with hundreds of teams balancing the rules of various universities, conferences, and state and federal laws.
JEREMY FOLEY, the former Florida athletic director, is declining to say what, if anything, Coach Urban Meyer told him about Zach Smith’s domestic violence arrest in 2009.
Meyer was placed on paid leave last week by Ohio State amid questions about what he knew and did about accusations of abuse made against Smith. The former Buckeyes assistant coach was fired July 24 after his ex-wife sought a restraining order against him.
TEXAS A&M: A service has been scheduled Aug. 30 at Kyle Field to remember the school’s late collie mascot, Reveille VIII.
Organizers said that Reveille VIII will be laid to rest 10 years to the day from her debut as mascot. The 12-year-old dog had been ill and died June 25.
In 2014, then handler Ryan Kreider deflected an SMU receiver from the dog. Kreider threw himself in front of the out-of-bounds player.
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