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At DJ Durkin's introductory press conference, he said he would move at a "deliberate" pace when making his coaching hires. Well, seven weeks later, he's finished making his hires. Here's what Maryland football's new coaching staff looks like:
- Associate head coach and defensive line coach: Mike London, former Virginia head coach. Possibly the most surprising hire, London is regarded as a good recruiter, especially in the DMV area. Maryland also has him on a great deal, as Virginia is paying him more than the Terps are this season.
- Defensive coordinator: Scott Shafer, former Syracuse head coach. He was fired as head coach of the Orange after three years at the helm, and was Durkin's first coordinator hire. His record as a defensive coordinator isn't sterling, but Jim Harbaugh called him "one of the most creative and innovative defensive minds in the country."
- Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach: Walt Bell, former Arkansas State offensive coordinator. He young and exciting, and runs a fast-paced, screen-heavy system that could bring the "wide-open offense" that athletic director Kevin Anderson said he wanted.
- Assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach: Pete Lembo, former Ball State head coach. Durkin is a first-time head coach, and Lembo gives him another experienced assistant to rely on.
- Wide receivers coach: Chris Beatty, former Syracuse and Virginia assistant. He's a highly respected recruiter in the Maryland, D.C., Virginia and Florida areas.
- Running backs coach: Anthony Tucker, former Arkansas State assistant. While with the Red Wolves, Tucker worked under new Maryland offensive coordinator Walt Bell.
- Defensive backs coach: Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, former Alabama assistant director of player personnel. Abdul-Rahim founded the football program at D.C.'s Friendship Academy and turned it into a powerhouse before accepting a position at Alabama in 2014. He's an extremely respected recruiter, and is the guy who recruited Trevon Diggs to Alabama.
- Offensive line coach: Dave Borbely, former offensive line coach at Virginia. He's been involved in coaching for 35 years, and also worked under London at Virginia.
- Linebackers coach: Matt Barnes, former defensive analyst at Michigan. He worked with Durkin at Michigan and Florida.
- Director of recruiting: Marcus Berry, former director of player personnel at Rutgers. Berry is another local guy, having coached at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Maryland for 11 years. His hiring was reported by 247 Sports on Tuesday, but hasn't been confirmed by the university.
- Player personnel role: Eric White, Syracuse director of recruiting. White is "the driving force behind the Orange's recruiting efforts," according to his page on the team's website. He's super young, but ascended quickly at Syracuse. Football Scoop reported the hire on Jan. 6, but the university has not confirmed it. It's unclear if White would be the director of player personnel or if he would have an assistant role.
- ????: Mike Locksley, former Maryland interim head coach and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. It's been reported that Locksley will not return, but there hasn't been anything official from the university on that. He's been seen with Durkin on recruiting trips, but it's unclear where he would fit in on Maryland's new staff, and his biography is no longer listed on the team'a website.
- Strength and conditioning coach: Rick Court, former strength and conditioning coach at Mississippi State. Court served as Bowling Green's assistant strength coach during Durkin time there as assistant coach.