The Terrapins are 4-6 and have lost all six of those in a row – but we can quell any talk about them having a different voice at the helm in 2026.
New Maryland AD Jim Smith confirmed in a letter posted on the school’s athletic website that Mike Locksley will return as head coach next season, and the school will broaden their investment in NIL and recruiting to try to return to prominence in the Big Ten.
“Coach Locksley needs — and deserves — the full support of our department, our university, and all of Terp Nation,” Smith wrote in the letter.
“We are fully committed to giving him and our student-athletes the resources and investments necessary to succeed. I have worked closely with Coach Locksley to rapidly strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond, with a clear and focused effort on roster retention, recruiting, and being highly competitive in the transfer portal.”
Smith’s letter also said that following this season, he, Locksley, and Senor Deputy Athletic Director Diana Sabau will ‘review every aspect of our football program to make sure we are focused on getting the right type of resources in the right places to build a successful football program in this new era of college football.’
Locksley is 37-47 in seven seasons in College Park, and the team has never finished above .500 in conference play. Maryland was 23-16 with three straight bowl wins from 2021-23, but went 4-8 last season and are 4-6 after opening this season 4-0, including a conference win over Wisconsin, who recently made a similar announcement about their head coach, Luke Fickell.
“Everyone involved with the football program is focused on giving Coach Locksley the resources to succeed in the Big Ten," Smith said.