In the year that has passed since the senseless death of Maryland football player Jordan McNair, the university and its athletic department have engaged in a long process of institutional self-examination and effected some real change.
Of course, nothing is going to bring back the young man who collapsed and died of exertional heatstroke or take away the pain his family continues to endure. But an out-of-control football program was brought to its senses and set on a new course that, hopefully, will prevent anything like that from happening again.
Whether or not former coach DJ Durkin was directly responsible for the negligence that contributed to the tragedy, he had to go.