Maryland fires Locksley after 12th straight Big Ten loss — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Mike Locksley was dismissed by Maryland after an 0-4 start to Big Ten play extended the program's conference losing streak to 12 games and the Terps fell to 2-5
- Maryland owes Locksley a $9.75 million buyout with no offset or mitigation — even if he lands another job — and he was set to earn $6.4 million in the final year of a deal running through 2028
- Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, a D.C. native with deep local recruiting ties who previously helped Maryland land a top-20 class in 2017, was promoted to interim head coach days after Ted Monachino was fired as defensive coordinator on Sunday
- The Terrapins' defense ranks 133rd nationally in points allowed (33.3 per game) and surrendered 219 points across the five-game losing streak, conceding 24 unanswered second-half points in a 37-30 Homecoming loss to Rutgers
- Maryland's offseason roster overhaul — 15 transfers plus No. 2 overall prospect Zion Elee — failed to translate, as the team lost five straight by an average margin of 24.6 points and allowed 43.8 points per game in those defeats
- Locksley went 39-54 overall and 10-21 since the start of 2024, following three winning seasons and three bowl wins from 2021-23 and back-to-back 4-8 finishes; he remained winless in Maryland's last 13 games against Power 4 opponents
Why it matters: Maryland's $9.75 million buyout lands just 10 months after athletic director Jim Smith publicly backed Locksley for an eighth season and promised additional resources — a roster investment that included 15 transfers and the No. 2 overall recruit but produced the program's 13th straight loss to a Power 4 opponent. Abdul-Rahim's interim promotion, paired with his reputation as a regional recruiter, signals the school will lean on local ties to retain top talent while it conducts a national search.
Ask SkimNews
