One of the myriad subplots stemming from the coaching upheaval at Maryland concerned the future of Danny O’Brien at the school.
Specifically, rumors were coming fast and furious that the ACC Rookie of the Year would be looking to transfer due to the departures of first offensive coordinator James Franklin and then head coach Ralph Friedgen.
Certainly anything is possible on the personnel front, especially when teenagers are involved, but it appears the quarterback is staying put in College Park. Wednesday, O’Brien attempted to put the Internet-fueled rumors to rest by proclaiming his loyalty to the Terrapins.
“Yeah, definitely,” O’Brien said when asked if his future was at Maryland. “I don’t know where it really came from. It was shocking. I came to graduate from the university of Maryland. I’m proud to be a Terp. I bleed red.”
As it pertains to O’Brien, there was one school of thought that he would wait to make a decision on his collegiate future until he saw who the new coach would be. While that seemingly doesn’t pertain to O’Brien -- at least for now -- there is still the matter of finding a replacement for Friedgen.
The school got an official jump on filling the vacancy Wednesday by both hiring a search firm and forming a search committee. One of the more prominent names on the list the twin groups will consider has been, and will continue to be, Mike Leach.
CFT can confirm that, as of late in the afternoon yesterday, neither Leach nor anyone in his camp had been contacted by anyone connected to the university. Leach himself confirmed to the Baltimore Sun last night that he had “not yet” been contacted.
That should change in the very near future, though, as two sources with knowledge of the coaching dynamic at the university have told CFT that Leach is the favorite of several prominent supporters -- financial and other wise -- of the school. The school as a whole, however, will need to get past both Leach’s controversial departure from Texas Tech and the twin lawsuits currently tied up in litigation before pulling the trigger on the hire, regardless of how loud and well-heeled his supporters might be.
And, to bring this post full circle, CFT has been told that O’Brien “is very excited” about the possibility of Leach coming on board and taking over Friedgen. Then again, what quarterback wouldn’t be? Besides those that hold NFL aspirations, of course.
O’Brien can certainly take comfort in the fact that the offensive guru is definitely in play, although he’s far from a lock to be on the Terrapins sidelines in 2011.