Maryland has parted ways with head coach Mike Locksley after an eight-year tenure that ended with a 38-49 overall record and a 16-47 mark in Big Ten play. Locksley loved the school, grew up nearby in Washington, and played and coached in the state before taking the top job in late 2018. He also proved capable of attracting top talent, with Maryland producing five NFL draft picks in 2023 and six in 2025.
The results never matched the recruiting. Seasons followed a familiar pattern of promising nonleague starts followed by a collapse in Big Ten play. Maryland has lost 20 of its last 22 conference games. Ownership brought Locksley back last year with a pledge of increased investment in the roster, but the season unraveled after a Week 3 loss to Virginia Tech and ended with a 54-3 home loss to UCLA. He dropped his final 13 Power 4 games.
Athletic director Jim Smith now begins his first major coaching search. His challenge is twofold: find a coach who can elevate Maryland in the Big Ten and give that coach the resources to compete consistently. Maryland has never posted a winning Big Ten record since joining the conference in 2014. The program's best asset remains its location in a strong recruiting area, so candidates with D.C., Maryland and Virginia connections are likely targets. Smith and his committee must also prioritize in-game coaching and the ability to beat teams with comparable or better talent.
Candidates will ask how committed Maryland truly is to football, given the program's limited buzz locally and regionally. Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert, who has won at Washington State and Wake Forest, is among the names to watch as the search gets underway.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing