Maryland Football...(Durkin placed on Administrative Leave)(Canada interim coach)

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Several current University of Maryland football players and people close to the Terrapins program describe a toxic coaching culture under head coach D.J. Durkin before offensive lineman Jordan McNair's death in June after a football workout.

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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.

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A former Maryland staff member said: "I would never, ever, ever allow my child to be coached there."

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"We had a kid die. ... It took all summer for us to even get a third-party investigation to meet with, and the timing [of those interviews] is absolutely horrendous," the player said. "This is a huge problem at Maryland."

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