Maryland head football coach D.J. Durkin is in the news for all the wrong reasons following an explosive piece on ESPN that alleged a “toxic culture” existed within the program in the lead up to a player’s death.
The report itself is about as damning as it gets, and lends credence to the idea that Durkin’s coaching style and the culture within the Terps’ program played a role in the death of Jordan McNair, who suffered a heat stroke during practice.
In responding to this report, South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp did not hold back. Having coached with Durkin for four seasons at Florida, the Gamecocks’ head man obviously boasts some subjectivity when in comes to the man.
Even then, his take on the situation is questionable, at best.
#Gamecocks @CoachWMuschamp delivered a fiery response to a question about an @espn story, which portrays the Maryland football program under DJ Durkin in a bad light. Durkin used to work w/ coach. "There’s no credibility in anonymous sources. I think that's gutless." @wis10 pic.twitter.com/ny60Xb8jIO
— Joe Gorchow (@JoeGorchowTV) August 11, 2018
“Alleged article,” Muschamp said referring to the ESPN piece. “There’s no credibility in anonymous sources. If that former staffer had any guts, why didn’t he put his name on that?”
Well, Mr. Muschamp, that’s how a free media works in the United States. Those reporting on a story only gain credibility with sources by not outing them. Throughout our history, it’s enabled the media to break major stories, rocking the foundation of the country and outing illegal activities of those within the power elite.
The focus on anonymous sources by Muschamp is his way to somehow change the narrrative. Maybe, a redirect. It doesn’t change what allegedly happened within the Maryland football program. That’s the biggest story here, not some “anonymous sources.”