Maryland Football: Understanding link between strength staff and player

Maryland football brought the relationship between a player and the training staff into the national discourse. What can we learn from the Terps’ situation?

Maryland football has found itself in the spotlight over the past few days after two football staff members were placed on administrative leave, and ultimately, head coach DJ Durkin. Additionally, head strength and conditioning coach, Rick Court, has been placed on leave as well.

These staff members have been placed on leave in light of reports of a current “toxic culture” within the football program and the investigation of the death of Maryland sophomore offensive lineman Jordan McNair. On May 29, McNair was hospitalized after a team facilitated, outdoor summer workout. Two weeks later, McNair died of heatstroke in a Maryland hospital.

Reports have also came out regarding the specific workout and training conditions that led up to the death of McNair. Additionally, specific comments from players and staff have shed light on the way the Rick Court ran the strength and conditioning program for the Maryland players.

Making sense of the situation

One of the most thorough and overarching assessments of Coach Court and the strength and conidtion program at Marland was included in the investigation:

"He’s really in your face. He’ll call you [expletives], he’ll challenge you in the weight room. He’ll put more weight on the bar than you can do, ever done in your life, and expect you to do it multiple times. He’ll single people out he doesn’t like, which is a common practice here. Guys are run off. They’ll have them do specific finishes at the end and do harder workouts or more workouts just to make their lives miserable here. He’s kind of Durkin’s tool to accomplish that. He’s the guy people hate, and that way Durkin doesn’t have to take the blow for it. Guys can’t stand Coach Court."

It is, however, important to bring some perspective and context to the relationship of the head coach, the head strength and conditioning coach, and the players at various times of the year.

From the start of training camp to the last game of the season, the head coach relies upon the strength and conditioning staff to allow the players to maintain their level of fitness. However, once the season has ended, the head coach hands his players over to the strength staff with complete trust to get their players rehabilitated and in shape for Spring ball.

Once spring practices start-up, the players are then handed back to the coaching staff for football-specific workouts. After the spring game, players are given to the strength staff in order to prepare for a grueling five-month season.

The relationship between strength coaches and players are very similar to that of the players and their position coaches during the season. Some players love their coaches and some hate their coaches. However, both types of coaches continuously push their players to their best. And, both coaches have the potential to treat their players terribly.

The summer workouts are supposed to be the hardest workouts players will go through at any point in their football careers. However, unlike professionals, college players do not always prepare their bodies as well as they should. For example, many college players go out and party on the weekdays since their schedules are generally pretty open and there is not much going on at the universities during the summer months. Many players come to workouts dehydrated and malnourished (for a college football player).

College Park, Maryland can be extremely hot and humid during the summer. With temperatures often in the mid-90s and a heat index in the 100s, it is not unreasonable to see an unfortunate recipe of a player being dehydrated and a coaching staff pushing players beyond their limits, that leads to a dangerous situation.

In an aggressive sport like football, there is often a grey area regarding the treatment of and words used toward players. As the current investigation plays out, we will gain more information on how extensive this “toxic culture” is and the specific nature of the relationships between the Maryland players and their coaches.