D.J. Durkin, the University of Maryland’s head football coach, was not shy about extolling the virtues of his new strength and conditioning coach, Rick Court, in the summer of 2016.
“He’s the most important hire I’ve made,” Durkin told Sports Illustrated.
“He’s critical to all we do,” he said to The Carroll County Times.
Court fit the part. He seemed to personify the fire-breathing, helmet-smacking, iron-fisted drill instructor, his head shaved bare, whistle dangling from his neck. He spoke often about juice, or energy, and his catchphrase “excessive juice” — or what’s required upon entering the weight room — became a team motto at Maryland.