Maryland fires football coach Michael Locksley after fifth straight loss
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The gist
Maryland fired football coach Michael Locksley four days after a 37-30 homecoming loss to Rutgers.
The Terrapins are 10-21 since their 2021-23 bowl run, and an interim coach takes over.
Background
Michael Locksley was Maryland's football coach, seven games into his eighth season; he went 38-49 at Maryland not counting a 2015 interim stint and led the Terps to three straight bowl victories from 2021-23. Maryland is 10-21 in two-plus seasons since that bowl run, and the Rutgers loss was its fifth straight defeat. Co-defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim takes over as interim coach.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026Washington beat Purdue 38-26 as Elijah Brown threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns, ending a three-game losing streak.
- Oct 19, 2026No. 12 UCLA beat Wisconsin 17-7 to reach 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play, the conference's only undefeated team; Northwestern beat Michigan State 24-21 on a last-second field goal, and Oregon beat Nebraska 17-14.
- Oct 19, 2026Ohio State beat Indiana 19-15, but quarterback Julian Sayin exited with an upper-body injury after throwing for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
- Oct 22, 2026Maryland announced Michael Locksley is out as football coach, four days after a 37-30 homecoming loss to Rutgers, its fifth straight defeat; Aazaar Abdul-Rahim takes over as interim coach.
- Oct 22, 2026Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Sayin is out indefinitely with a throwing-arm injury and the team is preparing for him to miss the rest of the season.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Maryland announced Locksley's dismissal and named co-defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim interim coach.
- Caution
- Oregon coach Dan Lanning said he is still gathering information about wide receiver Evan Stewart's driving-under-the-influence arrest and that appropriate action will be taken.
Still unverified
Michigan will likely be named the No.