Maryland football is searching for a new head coach after parting ways with Mike Locksley on Wednesday after a 2-5 start, and several notable names have already emerged as potential replacements.
On3's Pete Nakos identified a group of candidates for the Terrapins, including former LSU and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, former UCLA coach Chip Kelly and Indiana coordinators Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan.
Dan Mullen (UNLV), Charles Huff (Memphis), Jack Dickert (Wake Forest) and Lance Taylor (Western Michigan) also appear on the hot board.
Brian Kelly brings an extensive resume to the table after previous head coaching stops at Notre Dame and LSU. Although he is not coaching this season, Nakos reported that Kelly wants to return to the sidelines.
“The former Notre Dame and LSU head coach is off the sidelines this season, but sources have told On3 he wants to return to coaching. Could he revive a Maryland program that has been at the bottom of the Big Ten the last few seasons?”
Chip Kelly is another experienced option for Maryland as the program looks to turn things around. His most recent college head coaching job came at UCLA, where he spent six seasons before moving on. He is now the OC for Northwestern.
“(Chip) Kelly was most recently a college head coach at UCLA, where he was 35–34 in six seasons with the Bruins. Does he want to return to the East Coast?”
Article Continues BelowHaines is also a name to watch after helping Indiana build its defensive identity under head coach Curt Cignetti. His contract situation could make a potential move complicated, however.
“Haines signed a three-year extension in December in anticipation of him being one of the top names in this upcoming coaching carousel.”
Maryland now faces a critical decision as the program attempts to find a coach capable of improving its standing in the Big Ten. The Terrapins will have several candidates to evaluate, with the experience of Brian Kelly and Chip Kelly offering two prominent possibilities.