AUBURN — With DJ Durkin accepting the role of defensive coordinator at Auburn football, according to a report late Monday evening from Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, coach Hugh Freeze's staff is set for Year 2.

Durkin is one of four new assistants hired by Freeze this offseason, joining Derrick Nix as offensive coordinator/running backs coach, Charles Kelly as defensive coordinator and Kent Austin as quarterbacks coach. Nix was at Ole Miss and Kelly comes from Colorado. Austin was with the Tigers as an analyst, but he'll now be one of the 10 on-field assistants working under Freeze.

The latest arrivals replace four departures: OC Philip Montgomery was fired Jan. 5, DC Ron Roberts officially left for Florida on Jan. 16 and a duo of former players turned coaches — RBs coach Cadillac Williams and DBs coach Zac Etheridge — resigned Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, respectively.

Durkin has recently been the DC at two other SEC schools: Texas A&M (2022-23) and Ole Miss (2020-21). He was the coach at Maryland prior to that, but his time with the Terrapins ended in controversy. Here's a breakdown of the circumstances that led to his ouster, as well as other facts regarding his career that spans more than two decades:

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Why was DJ Durkin fired at Maryland?

Durkin was hired at Maryland in December 2015, replacing the fired Randy Edsall. Durkin, who had never been a head coach before, was coming off a season in which he was the DC at Michigan, leading the Wolverines to the No. 4 defense in terms of yards surrendered per game (281.3) and the No. 11 unit in points allowed (17.2).

The marriage between Durkin and the Terrapins lasted just under 35 months, as the coach was fired in October 2018 after the university received backlash for reinstating him following an investigation into his program and the circumstances revolving around the death of 19-year-old Jordan McNair.

McNair was an offensive lineman who suffered a heatstroke during a team workout and later died.

Details of the Maryland investigation

Two months after the death of McNair, ESPN published a story detailing a "toxic culture" under Durkin, citing interviews with "two current Maryland players, multiple people close to the football program, and former players and football staffers." The report, which published Aug. 10, 2018, triggered the university to create an eight-person commission to investigate the program.

The commission made multiple findings, including that the team did not have a toxic culture, "but it did have a culture where problems festered because too many players feared speaking out." It also found that the athletics department did not provide Durkin "with the tools, resources, and guidance necessary to support and educate a first-time head coach in a major football conference."

In terms of specific acts of misconduct from the staff, the commission chronicled 12 allegations. One of which included multiple players anonymously complaining that the coaches would make them watch "disturbing videos" while they ate. Former player Gus Little said this included "videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals."

Much of the investigation surrounded strength and conditioning coach Rick Court. Allegations discussed in the investigation included Court choking a player with a lat pulldown bar and throwing weights in frustration. Court denied choking a player, but did admit "that he threw small items, potentially including weights, but never at anyone."

The commission received 28 comments mentioning the act of throwing objects in the weight room, but witnesses agreed no one was ever struck and the objects were not thrown directly at anyone.

DJ Durkin's coaching record

Durkin compiled a 10-15 record during his time with the Terrapins, including a 6-7 mark in Year 1 and 4-8 campaign in Year 2. He was also the interim coach at Florida for one game in 2014 after Gators coach Will Muschamp stepped down at the end of the regular season. Florida was led by Durkin to a 28-20 win over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.

Texas A&M earned a 12-13 record in the two seasons he was the DC under coach Jimbo Fisher. Ole Miss went 15-8 with Durkin operating under coach Lane Kiffin, including a 10-3 season in 2021 in which the Rebels gave up 25 points per game.

Recruiting capabilities of DJ Durkin

Durkin was named the Recruiter of the Year by Rivals in 2012. He's been the primary or secondary recruiter on 16 blue-chip prospects, according to 247Sports. Two of those recruits — OT DJ Humphries and DE Jonathan Bullard — were five-star players coming out of high school.

Other notable players Durkin has helped teams land include QB Will Grier, LB Alex Anzalone, S Marcell Harris, RB Anthony McFarland Jr. and CB JC Jackson, among others.

DJ Durkin's connection to Alabama

Following his time at Maryland, it was reported by AL.com in December 2018 that Durkin was "helping behind the scenes" at Alabama. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who has now retired, released a statement regarding the manner later that month.

“DJ Durkin is spending a few days with our staff in Tuscaloosa from a professional development standpoint," Saban said. "He has not been hired in any capacity at The University of Alabama. He is simply observing our operation as many other coaches have done through the years.”

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Why was new Auburn football DC DJ Durkin fired at Maryland?