Maryland Board of Regents Chairman James T. Brady Steps Down
Maryland board of regents chairman James T. Brady has stepped down, making the announcement in a statement Thursday.
"My continued presence on the board will inhibit its ability to move Maryland’s higher education agenda forward," Brady wrote. "And I have no interest in serving as a distraction from that important work."
Brady, who joined the board in 2015, received backlash for the regents' recommendation on Tuesday to reinstate head coach DJ Durkin. The university initially accepted the recommendation before firing Durkin the following day due to immense public outrage.
On Tuesday, the board also recommended for athletic director Damon Evans to retain his job. President Wallace Loh announced he intends to retire after the end of the 2018–19 academic year.
The decisions on Durkin and Evans ultimately rested with Loh, but the The Washington Post reported that Loh was "strongly urged" to follow the recommendation and that a source said it was made clear to Loh that he had no other option if he wanted to avoid being fired immediately.
Questions over the Terrapins football program and Durkin were raised after offensive lineman Jordan McNair died on June 13, two weeks after collapsing from a heatstroke at a team workout. The university announced they were opening an investigation into the events surrounding McNair's death.
On Aug. 10, ESPN published an explosive in-depth report detailing a "toxic culture" of intimidation and abuse in the program under Durkin, who was placed on administrative leave the next day. Maryland announced on Aug. 14 that it would investigate the allegations, and the board assumed control of the investigation three days later.
Last week, the regents concluded the probe, finding there were failures within the program but it was not "toxic."
