Locksley 'at peace' with Maryland firing, open to NFL, college OC jobs — SkimNews
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- Mike Locksley was dismissed by Maryland after going 39-54 in eight seasons, including a 10-21 mark since 2024, and told ESPN he is "at peace" because the program is "better than what it was when I got here."
- Locksley said he doesn't expect another college head coaching opportunity and is targeting NFL jobs or college OC positions at programs "you can win a championship at," adding, "I'm done with the heavy laboring of building."
- Locksley identified retaining elite assistants like Scottie Montgomery, Jon Hoke, and Dan Enos as his biggest shortcoming, saying rival schools kept hiring away his top coaches and that the NIL era compounded the problem.
- Maryland owes Locksley a $9.75 million buyout with no offset or mitigation, meaning the school will pay the full amount even if he takes another job, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.
- Locksley said he met with Maryland AD Jim Smith on Sunday, refused to resign but offered to help "let the pressure off of everybody," and packed up his office Wednesday evening.
- Locksley described the program as "burnt to the ground" when he arrived, citing a player death just before his tenure, and said he stabilized things with three bowl appearances before NIL disrupted staff continuity.
- Locksley will likely try television commentary, possibly with the Big Ten Network, to test that career path while pursuing his next coaching role.
Why it matters: Maryland owes Locksley a fully guaranteed $9.75 million buyout — the school pays even if he lands a new job — while the next Terrapins coach inherits the same NIL-era staff-retention problem Locksley says derailed him. A program that just produced three bowls under Locksley is now restarting its search with the same structural pressure that ended his tenure.
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