What did Maryland's A.D. see in D.J. Durkin?
Maryland football has a new leader in D.J. Durkin.
Most recently the defensive coordinator at Michigan, Durkin has been considered an up-and-comer in the football business, but what was it that director of athletics Kevin Anderson saw in the Ohio native?
"Prior to beginning this extensive searching process we outlined the qualities of what we wanted in our next football coach," Anderson told reporters in College Park during Durkin's introductory press conference Thursday. "The qualities include having a strong and dynamic leader with a great energy for our program. An innovative football mind. Having a great personality that would appeal to our players, donors, and alumni. We wanted someone with a strong background that had a winning pedigree. Most importantly we wanted someone that had a winning attitude and came from a winning culture."
Anderson also stressed the importance of finding a coach willing to develop role models and stress the importance of education, but he did not ignore what Durkin has done on the football field, mentioning the strong defenses Durkin coordinated this past season at Michigan and prior to that at Florida.
"His defense was the primary reason that Michigan was ranked No. 10 (prior to last week)," Anderson said.
Then of course there is recruiting.
"The four recruiting classes he worked with at the University of Florida were ranked among the top 11 in the nation," Anderson said. "He was acknowledged and rewarded for being recruiter of the year in 2012. His last three years in Florida he had four first round draft choices. At Florida he recruited nine five-stars that played at the defensive side of the ball. Most impressively about DJ, he's worked with tremendous people. Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer, Tyrone Willingham, Dan Quinn and David Shaw. He comes from the most prestigious football programs in this country."
And now Anderson hopes to see him turn Maryland into another one of those types of programs.