COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland agreed yesterday to extend the contract of football coach Mark Duffner through the 1997 season, but that extension will hinge on his Terrapins making strides on the field as well as in the classroom next year.
The move gives Duffner some security for recruiting purposes but allows the university some flexibility should the team continue to struggle on the field. The Terps finished 4-7 this season after records of 3-8 and 2-9 during Duffner's first two years.
"I am very excited about the support the extension represents," Duffner said in a statement. "Debbie Yow and I are in agreement on the goals for Maryland football."
Yesterday's announcement comes after months of discussion between Duffner and Yow, who took over as the school's athletic director last September.
"We discussed all types of options like we did with Gary [Williams], but we hit on a one-year extension," said Yow. "It includes a clause for academic achievement and a clause for athletic achievement."
Williams, who in November signed a seven-year contract, also has athletic and academic performance clauses tied into his deal. But those clauses are related strictly to the ultimate dollar value of the basketball coach's contract, not whether he will continue on the job.
If the Terps fail to show what Yow described as "modest progress" next football season, the university will review Duffner's status when his original contract runs out at the end of the 1996 season.
Yow was quick to add that, although the year added to Duffner's original five-year deal is not guaranteed, it's well within reach. She also said that should the Terps turn things around next year dramatically, Duffner has the right to ask for a long-term deal.
"It's challenging, but Mark and I agree that both sets of conditions should be achievable," Yow said.
Asked about the conditions of the extension, Duffner said: "The terms are not anything that are abnormal. I think it's the result of showing tangible progress this year. I think it says, 'Let's keep going forward.' "
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his contract status, Duffner has received oral commitments from 19 recruits. He hopes to sign 25 players when the national signing period begins Feb. 1.
Duffner's team lost its last three games of 1994, including a 47-45 defeat in the waning seconds to Peach Bowl-bound North Carolina State and a 21-16 loss at Syracuse.
Maryland has beaten only one team that finished with a winning record in Duffner's three years. That team, West Virginia, was 1-3 after losing to the Terps earlier this year in Morgantown before winning six ofits last eight games.
Neither Yow nor Duffner would say what specific goals needed to be reached by the Terps next year, especially on the field. But with a schedule that should be easier -- Louisville is replacing Syracuse -- a winning record isn't an unreachable goal.
"Both portions are fairly specific, but I've agreed with Mark not to go public with that information because I want him to have the flexibility to do the job without everyone watching," said Yow.
DUFFNER AT MARYLAND
Year ACC ..Overall Pct.
1992 2-6 ..3-8 .. .273
1993 2-6 ..2-9 .. .182
1994 2-6 ..4-7 .. .364
Tot. 6-18 .9-24 . .273