Durkin hires former Marshall defensive coordinator Chuck Heater

Maryland head football coach DJ Durkin has hired former Marshall defensive coordinator Chuck Heater, sources tell TSR.

Heater, who spent the past five seasons as Marshall's defensive coordinator, worked with Durkin in 2010 at Florida under Urban Meyer. Heater served as the team's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, while Durkin coached the linebackers and special teams.

Under Steve Addazio at Temple in 2011, Heater engineered the third-ranked scoring defense in the nation, trailing just LSU and Alabama.

Heater inherited one of the worst scoring defenses in the country when taking over as defensive coordinator at Marshall. The Thundering Herd were ranked No. 123 out of 124 schools in scoring defense in 2012. In his five seasons at Marshall, the Thundering Herd ranked inside the top 20 in scoring defense three times.

Maryland ranked No. 119 in scoring defense this past season, allowing opponents to score an average of 37.1 points per game.

Heater, who played running back at Michigan in the 70's, will work with the Terps' safeties.