When things don’t go quite the way they were planned, at least the promise of potential opens gates for the up-and-coming. That’s exactly what the feeling has been around the College Park football offices since Maryland’s 2015 season came to its dismal end.
A Terrapin team that finished with a disappointing 3-9 record and in dire need of all-around improvement has moved new puzzle pieces onto the board, with the hopes that different personnel, refreshed leadership and injections of new philosophy might mean a more optimistic future for the Terps.
That’s where the coaches and the young guys come in.
On December 2, the program announced former Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin would step in as the Terps’ new fearless leader, replacing interim head coach Mike Locksley and a fired Randy Edsall.
Ten days later, the former Wolverine brought his first assistant coach into the mix. That coach, Alabama assistant director of player personnel and former Friendship Collegiate head coach, Azaar Abdul-Rahim, would transition to defensive backs coach. Coach Rahim has a proven pedigree on the sideline, as he not only built the Friendship Collegiate program from scratch, but shaped it into a powerhouse. Perhaps the most important skill he brings to the table though is his recruiting abilities.