Following the ongoing scandal at Ohio State, the last thing the Big Ten needs is another ugly situation with one of its schools, especially after Michigan State dealt with a huge scandal earlier this offseason.

However, that’s exactly what is happening at Maryland following an explosive report from ESPN on Friday.

After ESPN reported more details of OL Jordan McNair’s death earlier this summer, a followup story detailed the “toxic culture” at Maryland under current head coach (and former Florida DC) D.J. Durkin. According to the report, Durkin and strength and conditioning coach Rick Court created a culture of humiliation and harsh punishments, including:

  • There is a coaching environment based on fear and intimidation. In one example, a player holding a meal while in a meeting had the meal slapped out of his hands in front of the team. At other times, small weights and other objects were thrown in the direction of players when Court was angry.
  • The belittling, humiliation and embarrassment of players is common. In one example, a player whom coaches wanted to lose weight was forced to eat candy bars as he was made to watch teammates working out.
  • Extreme verbal abuse of players occurs often. Players are routinely the targets of obscenity-laced epithets meant to mock their masculinity when they are unable to complete a workout or weight lift, for example. One player was belittled verbally after passing out during a drill.
  • Coaches have endorsed unhealthy eating habits and used food punitively; for example, a player said he was forced to overeat or eat to the point of vomiting.

If true, this could spell the end of Durkin’s tenure with the Terrapins. How anyone thinks a program should be run like this in this day and age is, frankly, ridiculous.

This story is far from over, and the Terrapins will have to address it soon.