Ole Miss added DJ Durkin as an assistant coach Thursday, Durkin's first coaching position since being fired as Maryland's head coach after the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair and an investigation that revealed a disturbing culture within the program.
Durkin, who was fired by Maryland in October 2018, consulted for college and professional teams over the past 14 months but hadn't received a full-time coaching position until being added to head coach Lane Kiffin's staff Thursday.
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His firing was preceded by McNair's death, which was the result of heatstroke suffered at a team workout May 29, 2018. In August, an ESPN report alleged there was a toxic culture within Durkin's program, and Maryland suspended Durkin while launching an investigation into the allegations.
In October, Maryland's investigation concluded that Durkin failed to rein in abusive strength and conditioning coach Rick Court (who resigned after the ESPN report), fostered a culture that prevented players from speaking out and ignored them when they did and showed graphic videos as motivational tools during team meals.
From the report:
"According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals."
Durkin also received relatively low marks on exit surveys sent in by players.
Unsurprisingly, the Rebels' announcement does not mention any of that. It also does not specify what Durkin's duties will be within the program. Athletic director Keith Carter issued a statement defending the vetting process that led to Durkin's hiring.
Statement from Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter: pic.twitter.com/PDfGcUDdCP
— Emily Giambalvo (@EmilyGiam) January 2, 2020