The University System of Maryland board of regents on Friday received the results of a long-awaited investigation into the culture of the Maryland football program, but has refused to share the findings yet with Maryland university president Wallace D. Loh, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The Post, citing multiple people familiar with the situation, wrote that Maryland officials have been unable to plan any response to the findings because Loh and his staff haven’t been able to see the report.
A spokesperson for the USM board of regents could not confirm or deny the Post report Monday evening. The USM board of regents will hold a special closed meeting at 9 a.m. ET Tuesday in Baltimore to discuss the results of the investigation, which could affect the careers of suspended coach DJ Durkin, athletic director Damon Evans and ultimately Loh. No media opportunities or statements are expected Tuesday, but the board will publicly share the findings within a week and announce any initial decisions and/or recommendations at that time.
The board can make recommendations, but the only person it can actually fire is Loh. The board hired him, and according to Loh’s employment agreement, “your service as president is at the pleasure of the Board of Regents.”
Loh’s salary level during the 2018 fiscal year was $675,314.
The investigation was initiated by Loh in August in response to an ESPN report detailing allegations of verbal abuse, bullying, and a general disregard for the players’ well-being following the June 13 death of 19-year-old offensive lineman Jordan McNair from heatstroke he suffered at a practice.
Loh had already named three people to the group investigating the football program: Ben Legg, a retired chief judge; Alex Williams, a retired judge; and Charlie Scheeler, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office for Maryland. On Aug. 24, the USM board of regents assumed control of the investigation and added five more people to the commission, including two prominent Maryland alumni in Bonnie Bernstein, who spent nearly 20 years as a sports journalist for ESPN, ABC and CBS, and C. Thomas McMillen, who was an All-American basketball player at Maryland. The group also added former Maryland governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Doug Williams, who is the senior vice president of player personnel for the Washington Redskins, and Dr. Frederick M. Azar, who is the chief of staff at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics.