Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin to be Maryland head coach

Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin will be the new head coach at Maryland, according to a source.

Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin will be the new head coach at Maryland, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Durkin replaces Randy Edsall, who fired on Oct. 11 after the Terrapins fell to Ohio State, dropping their record to 2–4. Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley assumed the interim head coaching role for the remainder of the season, going 1–5.

The Terrapins just finished their second season in the Big Ten. They went 7–6 in their debut campaign before this year’s 3–9 mark. Edsall finished with a 22–34 record at Maryland, including a 10–24 record in conference play.

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​Durkin moved to Michigan to join Jim Harbaugh’s staff this season and built one of the nation’s top defenses. The Wolverines rank fifth in country in yards allowed per play and 11th in scoring defense. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis and safety Jabrill Peppers both earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, and Peppers also won Big Ten freshman of the year.

The 37-year-old Durkin built a track record of success at Florida under Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp. He arrived in Gainesville in 2010 and coached linebackers and special teams for three seasons before adding defensive coordinator duties in ’13. The Gators ranked 27th in yards allowed per play that year before improving to ninth in ’14.

After Muschamp’s ouster at the end of the 2014 regular season, Durkin served as Florida’s interim head coach for its bowl, leading the Gators to a 28–20 win over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.