Maryland fires football coach Mike Locksley after nearly eight seasons
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The gist
Maryland fired head coach Mike Locksley after nearly eight seasons, sources told On3.
The Terps were 2-5 and 0-4 in the Big Ten.
Background
Mike Locksley was the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins, in his eighth season in College Park; he had previously been head coach at New Mexico from 2009, going 1-11 in 2009 and 2010 before being fired after a 0-4 start in 2011. He entered the 2026 season needing to win around seven games or better to keep his job headed into 2027, and Maryland had a 2-20 Big Ten conference record since the 2024 season. The Terps were coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons and had lost 13 straight to power-conference opponents, and Big Ten opponents had averaged 46 points against Maryland this season. The firing came days after the program dismissed defensive coordinator Ted Monachino.
How it unfolded
- 2024 -2025Locksley went 4-8 in both 2024 and 2025, entering the 2026 season needing roughly seven wins or better to keep his job into 2027.
- Oct 10, 2026Maryland played Ohio State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
- Oct 17, 2026Maryland lost 37-30 at home to Rutgers, dropping to 2-5 and 0-4 in the Big Ten; Rutgers rallied from a 23-13 halftime deficit, outscoring the Terps 24-7 after halftime.
- Oct 17, 2026After the loss, Locksley said the entire program would be under review during the bye week.
- Oct 18, 2026Maryland fired defensive coordinator Ted Monachino; On3's Pete Nakos reported it appeared unlikely a move on Locksley would be made that Sunday leading into the bye week.
- Oct 19, 2026Locksley remained atop the college football coaching hot seat after Week 7.
- Oct 21, 2026Maryland fired head coach Mike Locksley after nearly eight seasons in College Park, sources told On3.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Locksley said he believed "this change is necessary" regarding the firing of Monachino, and that the bye week would be used to evaluate "every aspect" of the program, from personnel to preparation, execution and decisions.
- Party
- Maryland quarterback Malik Washington said of a possible firing: "If the scenario arises, scenario arises, we'll deal with it... Regardless, it's about the team."
Still unverified
On3 reported, citing sources, that it appeared unlikely a move on Locksley would be made on Sunday leading into the bye week; the firing itself was reported by On3 citing sources.