Maryland AD announces decision on Mike Locksley’s future with program
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With the team amidst a six-game losing streak in another season in which it has fallen apart post-September, the Maryland football program has been a point of interest when it comes to the next domino falling in the coaching cycle.
Eighth-year head coach Mike Locksley currently stands at 37-47 overall during his time in College Park, with the Terps having won bowl games in three straight seasons from 2021-2023 before falling to a 4-8 record last year.
And with the team struggling to manufacture much positive momentum following a 4-0 start, many had begun to call into question Locksley’s future with the program, especially considering all of the other movement that had been occurring in the coaching realm.
But on Sunday, Maryland Athletic Director Jim Smith revealed to ESPN that Locksley will return to lead the team in 2026 and that the school is focused on building up its resource-base for the football program.
“We are working to strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond and have already seen success for next year,” Smith told ESPN. “We are prioritizing roster retention, recruiting and competing in the transfer portal.”
Another likely reason for Locksley’s return is the fact that Maryland boasts a strong core group of young players to build around. True-freshman quarterback Malik Washington has shown flashes of being a home-state hero after being a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, and fellow freshmen Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis have combined for 15.5 tackles for loss off the edge.
“We are optimistic about the young talent in our program and where we are in recruiting,” Smith told ESPN. “Everyone involved with the football program is focused on giving Coach Locksley the resources to succeed in the Big Ten,”
It is also worth noting that Maryland plays seven home games in 2026, which includes five Big Ten home contests.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
