Head Coach John Harbaugh may want to be careful with how much he praises new Maryland Football Head Coach D.J. Durkin.
After all, Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, will now have to recruit and coach against Durkin after he left Michigan.
That didn’t stop Harbaugh from giving Maryland’s new official hire a big thumbs up Wednesday afternoon after hearing the news.
“I think it’s a great hire by Maryland,” Harbaugh said. “He’s tough, he’s hard-nosed, he believes in playing great defense, he’s a heck of a recruiter.”
Durkin was regarded as one of the top college coordinators in the country. Michigan’s defense has been very strong this year with Durkin at the helm. It ranks No. 4 in total defense among 127 FBS schools, allowing 281.3 yards per game.
Durkin has deep ties with both of the Harbaughs. Durkin coached with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford from 2007-2009 before joining his staff as the defensive coordinator at Michigan this season.
Durkin worked with John Harbaugh’s former defensive coordinator, Greg Mattison, at Notre Dame, and became good friends with Ravens Cornerbacks Coach Matt Weiss while they were both at Stanford together for two years.
“I know D.J. really well. D.J. – we go way back,” John Harbaugh said.
The Terps fired Head Coach Randy Edsall midseason following a 49-28 loss to Ohio State on Oct. 10. A week earlier, John Harbaugh was in attendance, and on Michigan’s sideline, when his brother’s Wolverines beat Edsall’s Terps, 28-0, at Byrd Stadium.
“[Maryland’s] a heck of a program. Going to that game down there and seeing the stadium and the energy, it has a chance to be great,” John Harbaugh said.
“We’ve always been close to Maryland football here. I thought Randy Edsall did a great job. That’s the tough part about this business. When that went down, I was surprised. I was really shocked, because I thought Randy was doing a great job. But D.J. Durkin is special, and he’s going to do a great job.”
