Mike Locksley Out at Maryland After Eight Seasons

Locksley Departs Maryland

Mike Locksley is out as head coach at Maryland after eight seasons. The school parted ways with the 56 year old coach on Wednesday following a record of 10 wins and 21 losses since the start of the 2024 campaign. Locksley finished his tenure with 39 wins and 54 losses overall.

He met with athletic director Jim Smith on Sunday and packed up his office Wednesday evening. Locksley said he knew the decision was coming and made it clear he would not resign. Still, he agreed to step aside without anger, noting that he cared more about Maryland and the players than his ego.

Looking Ahead to New Roles

Locksley stated that he is at peace with the dismissal. He noted that he stabilized the program after taking over when the team was burnt to the ground following the death of a player. Under his watch, Maryland reached three bowl games before the arrival of NIL presented new challenges.

Locksley said he is finished with the heavy work of rebuilding programs. He does not expect another college head coaching job. Instead, he wants to explore opportunities in the NFL or an offensive coordinator job at a college program capable of winning a championship. He also mentioned that he might try television commentary, possibly with the Big Ten Network.

Maryland owes Locksley a buyout of $9.75 million. His contract ran through 2028 and was set to pay him $6.4 million in his eighth season. The buyout has no offset or mitigation, meaning the university must pay the full amount even if he takes another position.

Struggles with Staff Consistency

Reflecting on his time with the team, Locksley pointed to staff turnover as a major challenge. He explained that retaining top assistants like Scottie Montgomery, Jon Hoke, and Dan Enos proved difficult as rival programs hired them away following successful stretches. Locksley added that winning at Maryland is possible, but winning consistently is the real challenge.

What it means for the next game

Illinois Fighting Illini at Maryland Terrapins (College Football, Sat, 31 Oct): Maryland Terrapins win 49%, Illinois Fighting Illini win 51%; projected score Maryland Terrapins 32, Illinois Fighting Illini 31. Our safest pick: Illinois +11.5.