The Maryland Terrapins announced they have hired D.J. Durkin to be the next head coach of their football team:
Maryland Football @TerpsFootballIt's official: Welcome to Maryland, Coach! #UMDurkin #MarylandPride
ESPN's Joe Schad first reported the hire. Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports confirmed the move.
At the introductory press conference, athletic director Kevin Anderson pointed toward the experience Durkin has gained alongside big-name coaches as a vital factor in the decision, per Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.
"Most impressive with D.J., he's worked with tremendous people—[Jim] Harbaugh, [Urban] Meyer, [Tyrone] Willingham, [David] Shaw," Anderson said.
Snyder also noted that Durkin expressed his desire to play an attacking brand of football in every aspect of the game.
"We will be aggressive in everything we do," the new head coach said. "If you know anything about that's what we'll be."
By taking the Maryland job, he'll find himself in the Big Ten East alongside the likes of Harbaugh and Meyer. He understands the challenge that comes with that, as pointed out by Craig Heist of WNEW.
"The way this division in this conference has shaped up, it's the best in the country," Durkin said.
Press conference performance doesn't hold much meaning over the long haul. That said, making a strong first impression is important. Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports.com believes Durkin did exactly that:
Jeff Ermann @Jeff_ErmannIt won't count in the W-L column, but Durkin's winning the press conference in a blowout.
Ryan Baillargeon of Diamondback Sports highlighted the fact the new coach seemed genuinely happy to be there:
Ryan Baillargeon @RyanBaillargeonI don't think Durkin has stopped smiling since this press conference started. Approaching 20 minutes now.
Maryland on BTN provided the entire press conference:
Maryland On BTN @MarylandOnBTNWatch the complete press conference as @MarylandPride announces D.J. Durkin as its next head football coach.
Maryland is desperate for help on both sides of the ball after finishing this season tied for 96th in scoring offense and 103rd in scoring defense.
Per Schad, Durkin's offensive system with Maryland will likely resemble that of another prominent Big Ten school:
Joe Schad @schadjoeD.J. Durkin’s offensive plans would likely fit along the lines of Ohio State’s spread-power
Maryland's 2015 season, its second in the Big Ten, was a disaster. The Terrapins finished 3-9 overall (1-7 in conference play) and tied with Rutgers for last place. Coach Randy Edsall was fired by the program in October after a 2-4 start.
The 37-year-old Durkin has been a head coach for one game, when he led the Florida Gators to a win in the Birmingham Bowl over East Carolina last January. This will be his first full-time head coaching job, and the task ahead will be difficult.
Maryland was a fringe bowl contender the previous two years, going 7-6 in 2013 and 2014. Moving from the ACC to the Big Ten seemed like a way for the football program's prominence to rise without having to compete against Southern powerhouses such as Florida State and Clemson for recruits.
Durkin's resume is impressive, especially given how young he is, so Maryland has every reason to believe he can get the program back to the eight- or nine-win territory it was at near the end of the Ralph Friedgen era.
