The University System of Maryland board of regents came to the decision that Durkin and athletic director Damon Evans would not be fired on Tuesday,
about five months after the 19-year-old collapsed on the field during a May 23 practice and later died of heat exhaustion.
However, the decision was met with widespread backlash as critics slammed the school for appearing to sidestep the issues within the football program rather than addressing them head-on.
Several state officials called for Durkin to be fired, including one who called the decision to retain him an 'embarrassment'.
Less than 24 hours later on Wednesday night, Maryland President Wallace Loh released a statement confirming that Durkin had been fired.
'The overwhelming majority of stakeholders expressed serious concerns about Coach DJ Durkin returning to the campus,' Loh wrote, referring to the feedback he got from the leadership of the Student Government Association, the Senate Executive Committee, deans, department chairs and campus heads.
The statement continued: 'The chair of the Board of Regents has publicly acknowledged that I had previously raised serious concerns about Coach Durkin's return. This is not at all a reflection of my opinion of Coach Durkin as a person.
'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.'
On Tuesday it was reported that would retire in June after being told by the board of regents that he would be fired if he tried to dismiss either Durkin or Evans.
It is unclear whether he still plans to retire now that Durkin has been dismissed.
Loh's action was immediately met with approval by Maryland Congressman Anthony G Brown, who said: 'Dr Loh's firing of Coach Durkin is the right decision and the decision that had to be made if the UMD community was going to ever move forward.'
The dismissal comes as Durkin, 40, was in the third season of a five-year, $12.5million contract signed in December 2015. He will be owed about $5.5million, according to buyout terms of his contract.
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada is expected to stay in the role of interim head coach as the 5-3 Maryland squad prepares to take on Michigan State at home on Saturday
Durkin and Evans were both placed on leave in August in the immediate aftermath of an ESPN report that described a 'toxic culture' within the Terrapin football program that may have contributed to McNair's death in May.
While at the extensive workout in May, the offensive lineman was said to have had difficulty standing upright while running 110-yard sprints, ESPN reported. Later, at the hospital, his temperature was reportedly 106 degrees.
Loh previously said that the school takes 'legal and moral responsibility' for the 19-year-old's death as the board oversaw a pair of probes into the football team.
The first investigation, led by sports medicine consultant Dr Rod Walters, evaluated the athletic department's procedures for dealing with heat stroke and found many errors in protocol – namely McNair should have been immersed in cold water, but wasn't.
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