SVP Talked About Maryland Football And The Lack Of Accountability Within The University

This is a very sensitive topic that for the most part I’ve tried to stay away from because you cannot make comedy out of a student’s death. But I did want to share SVP’s monologue about the University bringing back not just Durkin, but the AD as well. It’s a very tricky complicated situation. It’s hard to side with the University here. I understand their argument, which boils down to “Durkin did not cause the death of Jordan McNair”. But it goes beyond that. The money, the politics, the side deals, and the perception that the University does not hold people accountable. I believe when they say they did a thorough investigation. I believe they felt it was unfair to Durkin to fire him based on what they concluded was out of his control. It was a sad, terrible tragedy that should have never happened. But nobody is being held accountable.

I don’t know the best way for the University to move on. I don’t think anyone does. There’s no manual for it. But this could not be more true from SVP:

I can say that issues the university has struggled with for years were all on display throughout this process. Political agendas and fiefdoms, tug-of-wars that only served to further fracture, not strengthen, the university.

I kept waiting for the adults to arrive and move in a direction with clarity and purpose. By all accounts, for the months this internal review has gone on and the regents have met, clarity is something that was never attained. In fact, it only seemed to become harder to find the longer it went on.

We’ve been a University without a direction for years now. Misstep after misstep. That’s why Durkin was brought in. And apparently they still trust him to do the job. But even as I type that sentence, I know it’s not entirely true- it’s a money thing. It always comes down to money.

The football team will continue to give it their best every Saturday. And it’s a pretty good team. But my goodness, I hope whoever steps in after Loh as president come June does a much better job at giving Maryland an identity that we can all be proud of once again.