Maryland fired head football coach DJ Durkin on Wednesday, one day after his reinstatement. University president Wallace Loh announced the decision in a statement Wednesday night.

“This is not at all a reflection of my opinion of Coach Durkin as a person,” Loh said in his statement. “However, a departure is in the best interest of the University, and this afternoon Coach Durkin was informed that the University will part ways.

“This is a difficult decision, but it is the right one for our entire University.”

Durkin had returned to his position after more than a two-month absence based on the recommendations of the University of Maryland board of regents. Board chair James T. Brady said that Durkin had been “unfairly blamed for the dysfunction in the athletic department.”

The decision to retain Durkin was met with disapproval from figures ranging from the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, to the father of former Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair, who died following an offseason workout during the spring.

“I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach, and somebody spit in my face,” McNair’s father, Marty, said Tuesday after Durkin’s reinstatement. 

In a statement issued earlier on Wednesday, Hogan said he believed “very strongly that more must be done to restore the public trust. I am calling on both the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and President Wallace Loh to reconsider their decisions and to schedule a public hearing to address these issues in an open and transparent manner.”

According to multiple reports, several Maryland players walked out during Durkin’s first speech to the team upon his return on Tuesday.

Durkin, who went 10-15 across two seasons, was placed on administrative leave in August following an ESPN report detailing a culture of humiliation and intimidation inside the Maryland program. Maryland promoted offensive coordinator Matt Canada in Durkin’s place. The Terrapins are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten Conference play.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg.