Column: Maryland's Firing of Football Coach DJ Durkin Is a Watershed Moment for Athlete Activism

Once the players protested, the coach had no chance.

The University of Maryland's board of regents tried to pull a fast one on campus on Tuesday, and boy, did that decision backfire. More than four months after offensive lineman Jordan McNair, 19, died after suffering heatstroke at a football practice, and after an explosive ESPN report unveiled signs of a toxic football coaching environment, Maryland's leadership concluded that head coach DJ Durkin could return to the sidelines.