It has been more than four months since 19-year-old Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair died of heatstroke he suffered at a football workout, and more than two months since coach DJ Durkin was placed on paid administrative leave.
The Terps have played seven games under interim coach Matt Canada, uncertain of the future of their coach, athletic director and university president. The University System of Maryland Board of Regents received on Friday the long-awaited conclusion to an investigation into allegations of a toxic culture within the program.
Those findings are expected to be made public soon. Here's a look at how the Maryland investigation got to this point, and how the results might impact where it goes from here:
Why is DJ Durkin suspended and why were there two separate investigations at Maryland?
On May 29, McNair struggled to finish a workout, suffered a seizure and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was admitted with a temperature of 106 degrees. On June 13, he died from heatstroke he suffered at the workout. On Aug. 10, ESPN published two reports: One detailing the circumstances surrounding McNair's final workout, and another that included allegations of a culture based on fear and intimidation, verbal abuse, and a general disregard for the players' welfare.
On Aug. 11, Durkin was placed on paid administrative leave. He was at the May 29 workout, but his role that day remains unclear. The overarching question now is if the investigative committee finds that there was an environment that was detrimental to the players' health and ultimately contributed to McNair's death, and what role Durkin played in that.
Maryland hired Walters Inc. to look into whether the Terps' training staff followed proper protocol in its treatment of McNair at the May 29 workout. According to the findings of the report, which was released on Sept. 21, Maryland was culpable in McNair's death because staff members didn't take his temperature, didn't immerse him in ice, and didn't properly recognize and treat the symptoms of heatstroke.
The University System of Maryland Board of Regents had been waiting for the results of the second investigation -- about the allegations of a toxic culture within the football program -- before it made any public statements or recommendations. The group is holding a special closed meeting on Tuesday in Baltimore to discuss the results.
What went into the investigation of the program's culture?
Sources said the investigative team interviewed current players, coaches and support staff members, as well as Durkin and Rick Court, the former football strength coach who resigned from his post shortly after ESPN's report in August.
Investigators spoke with the parents of current players, as well as an unknown number of former players and parents of former players, and former coaches and staff members under Durkin. The group asked general questions about the program as well as specific situations included in media reports by ESPN and other media outlets.
"They asked me about the different situations, what was in the media, events that took place or not, what my playing time was like," a former Maryland player told ESPN. "They did a pretty good job. Some questions they worded poorly, like, 'Did you ever formally complain about playing football?' And I was like, 'Have you ever complained about your job?'"
A parent of a current player said players received detailed questionnaires that asked them for statements about Durkin's program and their experience.
What is the impact for university president Wallace Loh and athletics director Damon Evans?
Evans ultimately has the authority to remove or retain Durkin, while Loh likely will have input on the decision. While neither has been the focus of the investigation, both face uncertain futures. Evans became permanent athletics director in late June and has presented himself as a new leader for the department, but he oversaw Maryland athletics as interim director and served as the department's liaison to the football program during most of Durkin's tenure, including at the time of McNair's death.
Evans said he received "inaccurate information" about the May 29 workout where McNair collapsed. The school did not reveal who provided Evans the information, citing personnel records. Durkin, Court and Robinson were all present at the workout.
Loh's future as university leader seems unknown. Sources said his decision to publicly accept "legal and moral responsibility" for mistakes made on May 29 upset high-ranking state officials. Loh also could face repercussions for his decision not to accept a proposal in 2017 that would have made athletic trainers completely autonomous from the athletic department in their reporting responsibilities, and for his lack of a response to a letter delivered by a Maryland football parent in 2016 -- reported by The Washington Post in late September -- alleging abuse in Durkin's program.
Why has the investigation taken so long?
On Aug. 14, when Loh and Evans held a joint news conference, Loh announced he was forming a committee to investigate the allegations of verbal abuse, bullying and a general disregard for the players' well-being. Loh had already named three people to the group: Ben Legg, a retired chief judge; Alex Williams, a retired judge; and Charlie Scheeler, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney's office for Maryland. Loh said at the time that Durkin and the other suspended staff members deserve "due process ... to lay out the facts and give people a chance to respond."
"But this is not going to take forever," he said that day. "This is going to be an expedited, but yet very careful, review with all the confidentiality to allow people to speak confidentially and candidly."
On Aug. 24, the USM Board of regents took over the investigation and added five more people, including two prominent Maryland alumni in Bonnie Bernstein, who spent nearly 20 years as a sports journalist, and C. Thomas McMillen, who was an All-American basketball player at Maryland. The group also added former Maryland governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Doug Williams, who is the senior vice president of player personnel for the Washington Redskins, and Frederick M. Azar, M.D., who is the chief of staff at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics.
"The commission has been charged with reviewing this matter independently and rigorously," according to a USM statement.
USM Board of Regents chair James T. Brady said last week that while the board received the findings on Friday, they still needed "appropriate time to study the findings, ask follow-up questions, come to conclusions, and consider any potential outcomes. As public servants, we have an obligation to take the time necessary to get this right. Once the board has had the time it needs to review the findings, the information will be shared with people of Maryland in a fully transparent fashion."
According to a report in The Washington Post, they have not shared the findings with Loh.
What is the NCAA's response to Maryland's situation?
An NCAA spokesperson released the following statement to ESPN on Monday:
"Our thoughts and condolences continue to be with Jordan McNair's family, friends and teammates. The NCAA has published clear guidelines to aid in the prevention and treatment of heat illness and we expect universities to provide an athletic culture that protects and fosters student-athlete well-being and safety. The University of Maryland has taken responsibility for its failures in the care leading up to Jordan's tragic death and offered steps to ensure this does not happen again. We believe all of our universities should take this opportunity to assure they are prepared to avoid these types of tragedies."
The NCAA would not comment beyond the statement.
What power does the Maryland system Board of Regents have?
The board can make recommendations on personnel decisions, but the only person it can actually fire is Loh. The board hired him, and according to Loh's contract, "Your service as president is at the pleasure of the Board of Regents."
Loh's salary level during the 2018 fiscal year was $675,314.
Can Durkin be fired for cause?
According to Durkin's contract, "Cause shall be defined as (i) material misconduct, which is wrongful, immoral (meaning inconsistent with the professional standards of conduct of an intercollegiate head football coach) or unlawful conduct which adversely affects the Coach's ability to meet the performance standards and performance commitment set out in Sections 1 and 3 ..."
From Section 3, paragraph M (among his duties as head coach are ...)
"... conducting himself professionally and ethically, with integrity and sportsmanship, at all times, and avoiding inappropriately profane, discourteous, or insulting behavior towards student-athletes, other teams and coaches, spectators, and members of the media."
Maryland's case to fire Durkin with cause could be open to interpretation based on a subjective definition of "professional standards of conduct."
What are the repercussions if Maryland fires Durkin without cause?
Maryland would need to pay him roughly $5.1 million. His contract stipulates that the school owes him 65 percent of what is left on his deal through the end of the 2021 season.
That would be a hefty cost on top of already paying a settlement to former strength coach Rick Court, who was paid $315,000 when he resigned.
On top of owing the buyout, there is a good chance many of the boosters who have been vocally supporting Durkin would be even more incensed. There is still a substantial amount of money owed on the new indoor football facility, in the neighborhood of $200 million, and losing major boosters would mean less money to help pay that back and less money for the athletic department.
What are the repercussions if Maryland reinstates Durkin?
A growing group of players' parents have expressed deep concern about Durkin returning. These parents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, believe abuse happened at Maryland under Durkin's watch and he should be fired for those actions.
They have thought about what action will take place if Durkin is retained.
"We are not sure what we will do if that happens," one parent said. "Some have said they will use their names if that happens, because these boys are the face of our program. We just can't have him back to hurt anyone else."
The group of parents and their sons told the commission what their sons have experienced. Because of that, they feel the info provided should be enough for dismissal.
"I did call and talk to their people when they gave us their number," the parent said. "I went into every detail that my son ever told me of every abuse to every player that he told me about. I just can't imagine, that if even two of us told the committee that it's happening, how they could say it's not happening?"
There is concern among the group that Durkin will be brought back and they are prepared to take further action if he is not fired.
"We are holding onto hope that the Board of Regents will make the right decision given the evidence we know the commission has been provided," one parent said. "Should a decision be made which blatantly ignores those facts, we have documentation which will make people question whether they made the right decision."