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Five things Maryland fans should be thankful for in 2016

By Chris Bengel

March 20, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; Maryland Terrapins mascot on court during a stoppage in play during the first half in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 20, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; Maryland Terrapins mascot on court during a stoppage in play during the first half in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 1, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach D. J. Durkin walks down the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach D. J. Durkin walks down the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

D.J. Durkin

Randy Edsall was supposed to be the guy that turned Maryland’s football program around.

After all, he turned Connecitcut into a Division I program and even led the Huskies to a BCS bowl. Unfortunately for Maryland, he just wasn’t the right man for the job.

Athletic director Kevin Anderson took a different approach when looking for his next head coach. Anderson was able to lure one of the top assistants in the nation in former Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin.

Durkin had been a strong defensive mind wherever he had went. He’d lead defenses under both Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer, so the pedigree was clearly there.

Durkin certainly had a tall task ahead of him in his first head coaching gig. The Terps won just three games in 2015 and had a majority of the same talent coming back.

The former Wolverines defensive boss put together a solid recruiting class in just two months and has played a decent amount of freshmen this season. With just one game to go in the regular season, a win against Rutgers will get the Terps to bowl eligibility.

Considering Maryland had just three wins last season, a six-win campaign is phenomenal.

Durkin definitely has the program on an upward trend. With the Edsall failure in the past, fans should be extremely grateful to have a young, energetic coach like Durkin at the helm for years to come.

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