Parents of deceased Maryland player want coach to be fired Alabama upgrading football stadium
The parents of offensive lineman Jordan McNair say suspended University of Maryland coach DJ Durkin should be fired.
McNair collapsed during a preseason conditioning drill May 29 and died two weeks later. Durkin was placed on administrative leave Saturday after ESPN reported that coaches had been bullying the players.
On Tuesday, the university said it takes “legal and moral responsibility” for the death.
Tanya Wilson and Martin McNair told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday that Durkin should be more than suspended — he should be fired. McNair says Durkin “shouldn’t be able to work with anyone else’s kid.”
The parents say their son had been healthy for 19 years and never missed a practice. They’ve formed a charity to raise awareness about heat stroke.
Alabama is planning extensive renovations to Bryant-Denny Stadium and its basketball arena Coleman Coliseum, reducing capacity at both venues but adding premium seating.
Athletic director Greg Byrne said Thursday that the stadium will “most likely” go from 101,821 seats to sub100,000, with a massive video board going up in the South end zone that will eliminate some seating and two new video boards opposite.
Renovations at BryantDenny Stadium are targeted to begin after the 2019 season with a total estimated cost of $288 million, Byrne said. The changes would be implemented in phases and include adding 3,826 premium seats and a tunnel into the stadium for players making their pre-game entrance through the Walk of Champions.
Alabama has already received commitments for $143 million toward a 10-year, $600 million fundraising campaign, including a $1 million gift from football coach Nick Saban and his wife, Terry Saban.
TCU defensive tackle out for the season
TCU has lost standout defensive tackle Ross Blacklock to a season-ending Achilles injury.
Blacklock was injured during non-contact work in a recent practice. Blacklock and Corey Bethley stood out as freshmen on the defensive line last season.
The 6-foot-4, 329-pound Blacklock had 27 tackles with two sacks as a redshirt freshman for the Horned Frogs last season. The big, athletic defensive tackle started all 14 games, and had two tackles for loss against Stanford in the Alamo Bowl.
TCU, which made it to the Big 12 championship game last season, opens this season at home Sept. 1 against SWAC team Southern University.
Kelly bringing hightempo offense to UCLA
Theo Howard was still sweating from the exertion of an early training camp practice at UCLA when the receiver paused to sum up his experience so far with coach Chip Kelly.
“It’s high tempo,” Howard said. “It’s pretty fast. It’s a step up from what we were doing last year. We’re always running down the field, always doing something.”
Kelly led the speedbased revolution in college football during his wildly successful four-year tenure at Oregon. His next act in the college game has only just begun at long under achieving UCLA, where hungry boosters have finally landed the world-class coach they’ve always coveted.
USC still looking for quarterback
Two weeks before Southern California’s first game after Sam Darnold, the star quarterback’s successor still hasn’t been chosen.
Coach Clay Helton has been auditioning three passers for the job. Freshman JT Daniels appears to be leading the group, but slightly more experienced returnees Jack Sears and Matt Fink are still competing.
If this uncertainty bothers Helton, he doesn’t reveal it. In his third full season in charge of this glamorous program, the folksy coach has learned to embrace the daily thrill of elite players battling for starting spots, knowing it will probably lead to excitement in the fall.
“That’s the opportunity of SC,” Helton said. “Now it’s their opportunity to compete. The guy that is the best player for the moment is going to walk out there. There are going to be several young players that have that opportunity.”
Expectations are high at Texas A&M
Texas A&M lured Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State with a huge contract to bring the Aggies their first national title since Franklin Roosevelt was president.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see how the team stacks up against college football’s elite with 2016 national champion Clemson visiting College Station on Sept. 8 and the Aggies trekking to Tuscaloosa to play defending champion Alabama in Week 4.
“It gets your attention, I’ll say that,” Fisher said. “It definitely makes your kids wonder. I think when you have those kind of games in the early parts of the season, I think it makes your summer that much better.”
The Aggies signed Fisher to a 10-year, $75 million contract to replace Kevin Sumlin after he was fired in November following a 7-5 season where the team went 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference.