COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Maryland has parted ways with its strength and conditioning coach and ”mistakes were made” in the treatment of offensive lineman Jordan McNair, who collapsed on the practice field and subsequently died.
Following Tuesday’s news conference, Maryland announced that Rick Court had resigned.
Athletic director Damon Evans and university President Wallace Loh met with the parents of 19-year-old McNair Tuesday morning. McNair collapsed on the field on May 29 after a team workout and died June 13.
Court had previously been placed on administrative leave. Head coach DJ Durkin is also on administrative leave, but a decision on his future is not immediately forthcoming.
”We have hired an external review team to take a look at this, but as additional information comes forward, we will do what’s appropriate,” Evans said.
The attorney for the McNair family said a preliminary death certificate indicates the cause of death was heatstroke.
”We have learned that Jordan did not receive appropriate medical care, and mistakes were made by some of our athletic training personnel,” Evans said.
Dr. Rod Walters, a former college athletic trainer, has been hired by Maryland to investigate the circumstances of the death. A report is expected by Sept. 15, but the school has been provided preliminary findings and shared some of those in a news conference.
”Walters found that the emergency response plan was not appropriately followed,” Evans said, adding that McNair’s symptoms ”were not properly identified or treated.”
Loh said: ”The University accepts legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes that were made on that fateful day. … They misdiagnosed the situation.”
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