USM Board of Regents Announces Five New Members to Commission Investigating Football Culture at University of Maryland, College Park
Baltimore, Md. (Aug. 24, 2018) -- University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Chair James T. Brady today announced the appointment of five individuals who will join three members previously appointed by the University of Maryland, College Park to the commission created last week to investigate the culture of the university’s football program. These appointments are designed to enhance the commission, bringing broader perspective and additional expertise to the investigation.The board’s five new appointees include, alphabetically:
- Frederick M. Azar, M.D., Chief of Staff at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics, and Professor and Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program in the University of Tennessee‐Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Biomedical Engineering;
- Bonnie Bernstein, Founder, Walk Swiftly Productions, nearly 20 years as sports journalist for ESPN, ABC and CBS, University of Maryland, College Park alumna, where she was an Academic All-American gymnast;
- Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., former Maryland Governor, former captain of the Princeton University football team;
- C. Thomas McMillen, former United States Congressman, current President and CEO of the LEAD1 Association (which represents the athletic directors and programs of the Football Bowl Subdivision), former co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, former member of the USM Board of Regents, and University of Maryland, College Park alumnus, where he was an All-American and Academic All-American basketball player; and,
- Doug Williams, Washington Redskins Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, Super Bowl winning quarterback, and former head football coach at Morehouse College and Grambling State University.
“The allegations that have surfaced about the University of Maryland, College Park’s football program are extremely serious and, if true, completely unacceptable,” Brady said. “The commission will be expected to do everything necessary to uncover the facts and share them with the Board of Regents, the university, and ultimately with the people of Maryland.”
“We were pleased that five outstanding individuals with deep expertise in areas ranging from sports medicine to college athletics were willing to help more effectively achieve that goal by broadening the diversity of experience and perspectives on the commission,” Brady continued. “We will give the commission members the time and independence necessary to do the job right. They have been directed to follow the evidence wherever it may lead. In the meantime, we will continue to withhold all judgments and refrain from any speculation.”
“Once the commission has completed its work, the Board of Regents will make the decisions necessary to safeguard and support our students, both at College Park and at campuses across the state,” Brady said. “Ultimately, we hope the commission’s findings, which will be made public for everyone to review, can also help guide other universities and systems across the country.”
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu