The mascot of the University of Maryland is Testudo, a diamondback terrapin). Testudo has been the official mascot of the university for over 80 years and represents the university both at sporting events and as a more general symbol). The diamondback terrapin was made the state reptile and official mascot of the University of Maryland College Park in 1994). The suggestion to make the diamondback terrapin the school mascot was made by then-football coach Dr. H. Curley Byrd in response to The Diamondbacks search for a new "official" mascot. Before this search, Maryland teams were called the Old Liners. The terrapin, a turtle native to the Chesapeake Bay, seemed a great choice and a logical one coming from Byrd. The university has multiple statues of Testudo, including one outside of the Gossett Team House near the stadium, XFINITY Center, the schools basketball arena, the Riggs Alumni Center, in the lobby of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, and on the courtyard of Van Munching Hall).