The upheaval in the University of Maryland athletic department had begun to take shape by the time the coaches, staff members and senior administrators gathered last fall for their annual welcome-back-to-campus event.
That night, according to several people who were there, university president Wallace Loh spoke glowingly of Damon Evans. Evans was not the athletic director — he had come to Maryland nearly three years earlier to be AD Kevin Anderson’s second-in-command.
Loh ignored Anderson.
“All Dr. Loh talked about was what a great job Damon was doing and how lucky we were to have him,” said a person who was present.