Maryland has dismissed eighth-year head coach Mike Locksley following the Terrapins' 12th consecutive Big Ten defeat, the school announced Wednesday. Locksley, 56, went 39-54 with the Terps, including a 10-21 record since the start of the 2024 campaign.
Locksley said in a statement that Maryland football and its community "mean a great deal" to him, and he thanked players, staff, alumni and supporters for their relationships. Sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel that he was set to earn $6.4 million in his eighth season, on a contract running through 2028, and is owed a $9.75 million buyout with no offset or mitigation.
Athletic director Jim Smith said the two sides agreed a coaching change was in the best interest of Locksley and the program, and thanked him for his dedication and care for student-athletes. Longtime assistant Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, recently promoted to defensive coordinator after Ted Monachino was fired by Locksley on Sunday, has been named interim head coach while Maryland begins a national search.
The move came after an 0-4 start to Big Ten play and a five-game losing streak, which continued Saturday with a 37-30 Homecoming loss to Rutgers. The defeat marked the 20th loss in the program's last 22 Big Ten games. Maryland, now 2-5, is ranked 133rd nationally in points allowed (33.3 per game). Despite adding 15 transfers and a top-40 recruiting class in the offseason, results did not improve, and Locksley's job had been under scrutiny for more than a year after back-to-back 4-8 finishes in 2024 and 2025.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing