Report: Maryland Board Recommended Retaining Trainers That Failed to Treat Jordan McNair
The Maryland board of regents reportedly recommended retaining two athletic trainers who failed to properly treat former offensive lineman Jordan McNair after he collapsed during a May 29 team workout, according to The Washington Post.
Steve Nordwall, assistant athletic director of athletic training, and Wes Robinson, the head trainer of the football program, were placed on paid administrative leave on Aug. 10. Head coach DJ Durkin was placed on leave the following day, after ESPN published an explosive in-depth report detailing a "toxic culture" within the football program.
Maryland fired Durkin Wednesday after backlash from the university's acceptance of the board's recommendation Tuesday to reinstate him. Many people spoke out against the decision to reinstate Durkin, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Congressman Anthony G. Brown.
On Tuesday, the board also recommended for athletic director Damon Evans retain his job. University president Wallace D. Loh announced that he will retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year.
A Timeline of Jordan McNair's Death, DJ Durkin's Firing and Its Aftermath
When asked about the state of the trainers during Tuesday's press conference, Loh said the athletic director is "responsible" for all athletic departement personnel decisions and "will make that decision."
McNair collapsed from a heatstroke while running 110-yard sprints at the May workout. He died two weeks later on June 13.
On Aug. 14, Loh and Evans announced that the school accepted "legal and moral responsiblity for the mistakes that our training staff made on that fateful workout day." Loh said that the training staff “misdiagnosed” McNair’s situation, and Evans revealed that McNair did not have his temperature taken, nor was he given cold water immersion to lower his body temperature.
