Last season, the program started the campaign 4-0 before losing eight straight games and falling to a losing record. The lessons were learned. It was time to do it better.
Especially after witnessing the same scenario in the 2024 season. Maryland started 3-1 but finished 4-8, winning just one conference matchup. So, when the Terrapins opened 2-0 in 2026, it wasn't proof of a change, not yet. But this time around, the (un)expected twist came earlier than anticipated.
Following a victory over UConn in Week 2, Maryland dropped five consecutive games and fell to 2-5, winless in the Big Ten. Fair to say, there’s been a common theme in the last few years.
The leadership finally decided it was time for a change and fired head coach Mike Locksley on October 21, 2026.
"Maryland football and this community mean a great deal to me," Locksley said in a statement. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this program for so many years, and for the relationships I have built with our players, staff, alumni and supporters.”
The Terrapins and Locksley parted ways after the team blew a 10-point half-time lead against Rutgers at home and lost 37-30. It marked Maryland’s 12th straight Big Ten loss.
"We agreed that a coaching change was in the best interest of Coach Locksley and the Maryland football program," athletic director Jim Smith said.
"On behalf of the University of Maryland, I want to thank Michael for his dedication to our football program and the genuine care he showed our student-athletes. Michael represented Maryland with pride, strengthened our connection throughout the state and the region, and made a lasting impact on the young men he coached.”
The Locksley era
When Locksley returned to College Park in December 2018, Maryland was looking for stability, consistency, and a return to national relevance.
He was familiar with the team - Locksley served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2012-2015, including a two-month stint as an interim head coach in the fall of 2015 before leaving for the University of Alabama.
The former Maryland assistant and Alabama offensive coordinator inherited a program coming off a difficult period, with just one winning season in the previous six years. His mission was to rebuild the roster, improve recruiting, and make Maryland competitive in the Big Ten.
Ever since taking over in 2019, Locksley has experienced several highs and lows. He has led the Terps to three consecutive bowl victories, developed NFL talent, and helped Maryland establish itself as a more competitive program. However, the team also greatly struggled with consistency, particularly in conference play.
The 2020 season was heavily affected by COVID-19, but it sparked a hopeful beginning - Locksley brought in quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa from Alabama, who became a starter and led the Terps to a memorable 35-19 victory over Penn State. It was Maryland's first victory over the Nittany Lions since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
Although Maryland finished with a losing record, there were signs of progress. In the next season, the promise to the future was delivered.
The 2021 season marked a significant turning point in Locksley's tenure as Maryland finished 7-6 and snatched a winning record for the first time since 2014. Tagovailoa continued developing as the team's starting quarterback, while the offense became one of the program's biggest strengths.
The highlight came in the Pinstripe Bowl against Virginia Tech. Maryland dominated the Hokies 54-10, setting a program record for most points scored in a bowl game. It was Locksley’s first bowl victory at Maryland.
The rebuilding efforts finally started paying off. The Terps were on a rise and on track to become a powerhouse once more.
The next year, Maryland went 8-5, recording its first consecutive winning seasons since 2010-11. The Terps beat NC State 16-12 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and showcased that the previous success wasn’t an accident.
In 2023, the program peaked under Locksley as the team went 8-5 and demolished Auburn 31-13 in the Music City Bowl. This was the high point of the era.
Then, everything started to crumble.
Just when Maryland established itself as a regular bowl-contending program, the Terps experienced a major setback. Replacing Tagovailoa proved to be a massive challenge, and the team struggled to find its offensive rhythm.
Since then, Maryland has never recovered and returned to the winning side. An explosive start followed by a difficult reality check against conference competition. That’s what Maryland became known for.
This fall, enough was enough as the Locksley era ended. Now, the university is back to the rebuilding stage. It's a bitter reality for a program that used to compete for the national championship and was nationally relevant.
Glory days
Maryland has a rich football history that dates back to 1892. By the middle of the 20th century, the Terps were known as a national powerhouse.
In 1947, the school hired Jim Tatum, who stayed for nine seasons and became the most successful Maryland coach in modern history.
In 1951, Tatum completed a perfect 10-0 season with Maryland by beating the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sugar Bowl. The Terrapins handed the Vols their first loss of the season, and it remains one of the biggest victories in program history.
Two years later, Tatum led Maryland to its first national championship in school history.
Back in the day, college football didn’t have a postseason. The national champion was determined by consensus polls and mathematical rating systems. Maryland went undefeated during the regular season, earned the No. 1 ranking, and claimed the national championship, even though the team lost to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
Some historical selectors also recognize the title from 1951 - despite not officially being claimed by Maryland and officially belonging to Tennessee, many experts believed the crown should belong to Maryland.
Tatum left after the 1955 season with one national championship, three conference titles, three perfect seasons, and five bowl appearances. He had a winning record every season.
After he left, things went south for the Terrapins as his successor, Tommy Mont, failed to build on the successful foundation.
Maryland was below average and losing when Jerry Claiborne took over in 1972. By his fifth season - in 1976 - the program was great again, recording a season at 11-1.
The Terrapins dominated the ACC, finishing conference play undefeated at 5-0 and winning their third consecutive outright conference championship. Maryland finished No. 8 nationally, its first Top 10 finish in 16 years. The program was once again recognized as a threat.
Claiborne left in 1982 for his alma mater, Kentucky, and the school hired Bobby Ross. Ross implemented a dramatically different coaching strategy. Claiborne was a fan of the I-veer triple option, and his former player, quarterback Boomer Esiason, described his coaching style as “vanilla”.
“His strategy was to run right, run left, run up the middle, punt, and play good defense. But there's no question he made me a tougher player. We'd do drills where the quarterback had to take on a linebacker. It was like he had a sign on our backs, 'Hit us, we're stupid'. It made you a tougher player,” Esiason said later.
The quarterback played at Maryland from 1979-1983 and experienced both coaching masterminds.
Ross ditched the triple option and implemented an explosive, NFL-style, high-powered offense that relied on dropback passes, bootlegs, and play action passes. This approach allowed Esiason to unlock another level of his game and excel to another height.
"Ross has an uncanny knack of putting players in a position to not only succeed, but to overachieve. If he didn't show up at Maryland, I don't know what would have happened to me. I don't know if I would have turned into the player I was and played in the NFL,” said Esiason.
Quarterback University
In 1983, as a senior, Esiason led the Terps to an undefeated 6-0 conference record and their first ACC championship since 1976. He threw for a school-record 2,322 yards that season and helped Maryland reach No. 7 in the national rankings.
Esiason was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever suit up for Maryland, and Ross became notorious for developing the playmakers. Several quarterbacks went on to play in the NFL, such as Frank Reich, Stan Gelbaugh, and Scott Milanovich.
In this era, Maryland famously earned the nickname "Quarterback University".
Miami miracle
On November 10, 1984, the school experienced arguably the greatest moment in football history.
Trailing the defending national champions, the Miami Hurricanes, 31-0 at halftime, the Terps kicked into another gear as the second half rolled around and made an unbelievable comeback. Backup quarterback Frank Reich entered the game and threw six touchdown passes in the second half. Maryland scored 42 unanswered points to stun No. 6 Miami in one of college football's most remarkable comebacks.
In 1985, Maryland posted a 5-5-1 record but dominated Syracuse 35-18 in the Cherry Bowl. But the win numbered Ross’ days at Maryland - the head coach reportedly grew frustrated with the leadership failing to improve and upgrade the Byrd Stadium and other football amenities. He said he felt like he was misleading recruits and incoming players by showing them plans that never came to fruition.
After he resigned and departed, Maryland sank into dark days. In the next 13 seasons, the team went through three different head coaches, a 55-88 record, and just one bowl appearance. It was a disastrous fall for a program that used to compete for the conference and national titles.
The Terrapins started winning again in 2001, when Ralph Friedgen - a former assistant coach under Ross - took over the program.
The turnaround was quick. After 15 years without an ACC championship, Maryland finally returned to the top of the conference in Friedgen’s debut season. The Terps secured a spot in the Orange Bowl. Maryland finished the season 10-2 and ranked 10th in the country.
Dark days that last
But the success started declining once again.
Before the 2009 kick-off, many projected Maryland to finish last or second-to-last in the ACC, and the predictions proved accurate. The Terps went 2-10 and recorded their first 10-loss season in school history.
In 10 seasons, Friedgen compiled a 75-50 record, and the athletic department bought out the last year of his contract in 2010. In his final season as a head coach, he guided the Terrapins to a 9-4 record.
Maryland has never recovered from this performance dip. Randy Edsall. D.J. Durkin. Mike Locksley; they all came in to restore the once-decorated program. None of them were successful. The Terps were mediocre and inconsistent. Winning and losing seasons were interchangeable. Fans never knew what they were going to get. There was a lack of foundation, continuity, and, of course, long-term success.
Following Locksley’s dismissal, Maryland promoted former defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim to interim head coach. His first game at the helm ended in a narrow 20-17 loss to Illinois. The Fighting Illini won on a 26-yard field goal as time expired, extending Maryland’s losing streak to six games. The Terps had actually led 14-10 entering the fourth quarter before giving up the lead.
Despite the struggles on the field, Maryland has one significant advantage that should make rebuilding the program an attractive challenge: its location. The state of Maryland and the surrounding DMV area have long been a hotbed for high school football talent, producing some of the nation's top prospects year after year.
With Washington DC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania all within recruiting distance, the Terps have access to a deep pool of talented players without having to travel far. The region has produced numerous NFL stars and elite college prospects, giving Maryland a natural recruiting advantage.
The challenge has never been a lack of talent nearby, but rather consistently keeping the best local players at home and turning that talent into success on the field.
In the current NFL season, most players came from high school in Georgia and Louisiana. These states tied with 1.3 players per 100,000 residents. Alabama came second with 1.2, and Mississippi was third with 1.0. Maryland tied for fourth place with Florida, Utah, and Iowa with 0.8.
Maryland football is at another crossroads. The program has a proud history, a strong recruiting footprint, and access to a region overflowing with football talent. The program needs a leader who can establish a clear vision, build a sustainable culture, keep the best local talent in College Park, and finally give the program the consistency it has been missing.
The potential is there. The question is whether Maryland can find the right person to unlock it.
Who is in the mix to take on this challenge on the East Coast? Officially, nobody just yet. But a few candidate names have already come up:
Jake Dicker: head coach at Wake Forest
Dickert has already shown that he can turn a program around and win in a challenging environment. After leading Washington State to three bowl appearances in four seasons, he made an immediate impact at Wake Forest, guiding the Demon Deacons to a 9-4 record and a Duke's Mayo Bowl victory in his first season.
Dan Mullen: head coach at UNLV
Mullen would be one of the most experienced candidates on the list, having previously coached at Mississippi State and Florida. He led Mississippi State to a No. 1 national ranking in 2014 and took Florida to three consecutive New Year's Six bowl games.
His offensive expertise and SEC experience could make him an established leader capable of elevating the program's expectations.
Charles Huff: head coach at Memphis
Huff might have the strongest geographical connection to Maryland of all five candidates. A native of Denton, Maryland, he previously worked with the Terps and has coaching experience at Penn State and Alabama.
His familiarity with the region, Big Ten experience, and proven ability to improve struggling programs make him a particularly interesting candidate.
The list offers several different directions for Maryland.
The university could pursue an experienced Power Four coach, take a chance on a rising offensive mind, or look for someone with deep regional connections who understands the importance of recruiting the DMV area.
Whoever gets the job will inherit a program with a proud history, considerable resources, and plenty of talent within its recruiting footprint. But the challenge will be much bigger than simply producing a winning season or reaching a bowl game. Maryland needs someone who can build a sustainable foundation and restore the program's identity.
The Terps have been searching for that person for more than a decade. Now, they have another opportunity to find him.
