COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Maryland fired head football coach Mike Locksley on Wednesday following a 2-5 start to the season, making the first head coaching dismissal of the 2026 college football campaign.
The decision came four days after the Terrapins surrendered 24 unanswered points in a 37-30 home loss to Rutgers, dropping Maryland to 0-4 in Big Ten conference play. A team meeting was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in College Park to inform players of the change, Yahoo Sports reported.
Defensive assistant Aazaar Abdul-Rahim was named the Terrapins’ interim head coach, according to reporting from ESPN and On3. Abdul-Rahim had just been elevated to primary defensive coordinator earlier in the week after Maryland dismissed defensive coordinator Ted Monachino in the aftermath of the Rutgers defeat.
A swift fall after consecutive winning seasons
Locksley was hired as Maryland’s permanent head coach in December 2018, stabilizing a program reeling from the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair and the departure of former coach DJ Durkin. Between 2021 and 2023, Locksley guided Maryland to three consecutive winning records and three straight bowl victories, marking the program’s first stretch of back-to-back bowl appearances since 2008.
However, the Terrapins struggled to maintain momentum in an expanded Big Ten conference. Outlets reported slightly different career marks for Locksley at Maryland, with College Sports Wire and Fox News citing a 39-54 overall record and a 17-52 mark in Big Ten play, while SB Nation reported his record as 38-49 overall and 16-47 in conference play. Over the past three seasons, Maryland compiled a 2-20 record against conference opponents, according to College Sports Wire.
After opening the 2026 campaign with wins over Hampton and UConn, the Terrapins spiraled into a five-game skid. Maryland’s defense surrendered at least 35 points in each defeat, allowing a combined 219 points during the slump to drop near the bottom of national defensive rankings.
Speaking on Saturday about his future with the program, Locksley emphasized his dedication to the roster.
“I’m here for these players. I’m super convicted,” Locksley said. “The only thing I’m concerned about is doing my very best for them, until they tell me I can’t. And those players continue to give me their best, so I’ll continue to give them my best.”
Costly buyout and what lies ahead
Maryland faces a substantial financial obligation in parting with Locksley. According to ESPN, Locksley is owed a buyout of $9.75 million without mitigation or offset language, meaning the university must pay the full sum even if he takes another coaching role. InsideMarylandSports reported the total buyout exceeds $9 million. Under the terms of the agreement, the school must deliver roughly $4.9 million — half of the total buyout — in a lump sum within 60 days, according to reports from On3 and InsideMarylandSports.
Prior to his head coaching run with the Terrapins, the Washington, D.C., native served as offensive coordinator at Alabama, where he won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach in 2018. Locksley previously compiled a 2-26 record as head coach at New Mexico from 2009 to 2011 and worked as Maryland’s interim head coach in 2015.
Abdul-Rahim, who returned to Maryland’s staff in 2024 following four seasons at Boston College, takes over as the Terrapins enter a scheduled bye week. Maryland next plays at home against Illinois, seeking to snap an 0-12 drought in games immediately following an open week.
