The frustrating part about Mike Locksley's tenure at Maryland is that he undeniably possessed two qualities Terrapins coaches typically need to succeed.
He loved the school and viewed it as a destination, after growing up in nearby Washington, playing college ball in the state and twice working as a Terrapins assistant before landing the top job in late 2018. Locksley also could attract top-end talent. Maryland produced five NFL draft picks in 2023 and six in 2025. Maryland's 2025 recruiting class featured seven SC Next 300 prospects. Zion Elee, the nation's No. 2 prospect and a Baltimore native, headlines the team's 2026 class.
But Locksley's connection to Maryland and success with talent acquisition simply didn't lead to enough wins. Seasons began to follow similar patterns: promising starts in nonleague games, followed by a crash in Big Ten play. After back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2022 and 2023, Maryland has lost 20 of its last 22 conference games.
Maryland could have fired Locksley last year, but brought him back with a pledge for increased financial investment in the roster. The Terrapins returned quarterback Malik Washington after a record-setting freshman season and had linebacker Daniel Wingate and other veteran defenders to surround Elee.
But things began to unravel after a Week 3 loss to Virginia Tech and James Franklin, the former Maryland coach-in-waiting who tormented the program while at Penn State. Then there was a stomach-turning 54-3 home loss to UCLA. Maryland parted ways with Locksley on Wednesday. He finished his eight-year tenure with a 38-49 overall record, 16-47 in Big Ten play, and dropped his final 13 Power 4 games.
Athletic director Jim Smith begins his first major coaching search at the school. Smith worked primarily with pro sports teams in Atlanta, including the Braves, before coming to Maryland and has an extensive background in the sports business and finance world.
His challenge is twofold: identify a coach who can elevate Maryland in the Big Ten, and provide the coach with the necessary resources to consistently compete. Maryland has never had a winning record in Big Ten play and has finished with only one or two league victories six times since joining the conference in 2014.
The program's best asset remains its location, in the center of an extremely strong recruiting area. Maryland likely will target candidates who have recruited in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area and can come in with connections. But Smith and others involved in the search must also prioritize in-game coaching success and the ability to win games against teams with comparable or better talent.
Candidates certainly will be asking how invested Maryland truly is with football. The program simply hasn't had much buzz, locally or regionally.
Here's a look at what's next for Maryland after Locksley.
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Top candidates | Personnel priorities | Key recruits
Five candidates for the job
Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert: He has won at two jobs -- Washington State and Wake Forest -- with some baked-in challenges and wouldn't shy away from a situation like Maryland's in a league like the Big Ten. Dickert, 43, is a Wisconsin native who cut his teeth in the Dakotas before moving west to Wyoming and eventually Washington State, where he went to three bowl games in four seasons. Wake Forest won nine games in his first season, and it has surged to No. 17 with a 6-1 start this fall. Dickert is an excellent personnel evaluator who has proved he gets the most from his players. The question would be whether he sees Maryland as a sensible next stop.
Memphis coach Charles Huff: Could Huff take four coaching jobs in four years? He will be on Maryland's radar after head coaching success at multiple spots, Power 4 experience in the Big Ten and SEC, and extensive ties to the region. Huff, 43, is from Denton, Maryland, played college ball in Virginia at Hampton and spent the 2009 season as a Terrapins intern. He worked under James Franklin at Penn State and Nick Saban at Alabama, and he boasts a 44-27 record as a coach at Marshall, Southern Miss and Memphis, including a league title with Marshall in 2024.
Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor: After leading WMU to a MAC championship in 2025, Taylor gained even more acclaim with how he handled a controversial season-opening loss to Michigan. His leadership resonated with administrators who could be competing for his services to lead their programs. Taylor, 45, is an Alabama native who coached extensively in the NFL while also making college stops at Stanford and Notre Dame. His background is on offense, but WMU produced the nation's No. 9 scoring defense in 2025. Taylor is 15-6 since the start of the 2025 season.
UNLV coach Dan Mullen: After a 10-win debut season at UNLV, following three years off the field as an ESPN analyst, he entered the season as the glitziest Group of 6 candidate. Will the Rebels' 4-3 start hurt Mullen's chances for a job like Maryland, where he would be a strong fit? Mullen would bring experience from two SEC programs, including three 10-win seasons and five AP top-15 finishes. The 54-year-old grew up outside Philadelphia and would bring a good track record with quarterbacks. He would need a strong recruiting plan, though, after the way things ended at Florida. Mullen is 117-68 as an FBS coach.
USF coach Brian Hartline: He's in only his first season as a head coach and might need more seasoning before making a return to the Big Ten. But 39-year-old Hartline would bring an excitement level to Maryland and prevent a recruiting drop-off, as he thrived in acquiring talent as an Ohio State assistant. The former Buckeyes wide receiver built the best receiver pipeline in the sport at Ohio State, and has recruiting connections in Florida and elsewhere. Both Smith and senior deputy AD Diana Sabau spent time at Ohio State. Hartline is 5-2 in his first season with USF. -- Adam Rittenberg
Six important players to retain
QB Malik Washington: The 6-foot-5, 227-pound sophomore was a massive recruiting win for Locksley as a top-150 recruit from Baltimore's Archbishop Spalding, and this staff wasn't afraid to hand him the keys to the offense as a true freshman. Washington set a school freshman record with 2,963 passing yards in his debut season and rushed for 303 yards with 21 total touchdowns and 11 turnovers over 12 starts. He has thrown for 1,615 yards with nine touchdowns through his first five games this season but has thrown six interceptions, including three pick-sixes.
The question for Washington and so many top players with remaining eligibility: Can the new coach persuade them to ignore all the tampering and re-sign? There are a bunch of blue-chip Maryland natives on this roster who'll need to decide if they're willing to buy in to a new staff and another rebuild.
Edge Zion Elee: The 6-4, 220-pound pass rusher from nearby St. Frances Academy could've gone anywhere he wanted as ESPN's No. 2 overall recruit in the 2026 class, but Elee chose to stay home and become the Terps' highest-rated recruit ever. He's playing a rotational role for their D-line of around 25-30 snaps per game so far in his freshman season and has already produced a team-high 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Edge Sidney Stewart: Stewart came in as a three-star recruit and wowed everyone during his debut season, earning Freshman All-America honors after starting 11 games and producing a team-high 35 pressures, 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The 6-2, 247-pound edge certainly had opportunities to go elsewhere after a season like that, but the Joppa, Maryland, native stayed loyal to the program. Stewart has 26 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles through seven games and can play up to three more seasons if he doesn't go pro early.
LB Daniel Wingate: The 6-5, 238-pound senior will have one extra year of eligibility if he wants it, thanks to recent NCAA eligibility reform. He's in his second year as a starter for the Terps and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition last season after putting up 102 tackles, including 62 solo tackles (third most in the Big Ten) plus 6.5 TFLs and a pick-six. He's their leading tackler again this season with 45 stops and scored on a 52-yard pick-six against Ohio State.
WR Chris Durr Jr.: The 5-11, 173-pound wideout joined the Terps this year after two seasons at Wyoming and has quickly emerged as a dynamic playmaker who can burn Big Ten defenses. Durr is tied with Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith for the conference lead with 52 receptions and has 580 yards and five total touchdowns. He has put together 100-yard performances in four of his last six games, including a career-high 149 yards against Nebraska, and still has two more years of eligibility.
Edge Zahir Mathis: The No. 60 overall recruit in the 2025 ESPN 300 lived up to big expectations as a freshman by earning a starting role right away and racking up 33 pressures, 8.5 TFLs and six sacks. He looked poised for another big year but suffered a season-ending injury in fall camp. It'll be interesting to see if Maryland's next coaching staff can succeed in retaining these blue-chip pass rushers and more members of the program's talented 2025 recruiting class. There are many more quality second-year players on this roster -- including safety Messiah Delhomme, linebacker Carlton Smith and tackle Jaylen Gilchrist -- who'll have good options at the end of the year if they depart. -- Max Olson
Three key recruits
WR Myles McAfee, No. 106 in SC Next 300: The 6-1, 170-pound wideout from Archbishop Spalding is the No. 4 in-state recruit in ESPN's rankings and made a summer commitment to the Terps in a decision that came down to Maryland and Virginia Tech after official visits to both programs. McAfee caught 54 passes for 651 yards and 10 TDs during his junior season and is one of the top playmakers in the region as the No. 21-ranked receiver in his class.
S Kenaz Sullivan, No. 26 safety: Maryland was the first school to offer Sullivan, a 6-1, 185-pound safety from Springfield, Virginia, and that ultimately paid off in June when the four-star prospect committed to the Terps over interest from Florida, Tennessee and Ohio State among his 40-plus offers. Sullivan is a top-10 recruit in the state of Virginia and would likely have plenty of options if he reopened his recruitment.
DE Dallas Pauldo, No. 68 defensive end: The 6-5, 245-pound pass rusher from Rockvale, Tennessee, picked Maryland over Missouri and Arkansas in July. He's an impressive athlete who also plays tight end and basketball and has intriguing developmental upside with his combination of size and athletic ability. -- Olson