Mike Locksley Fired as Maryland HC After Loss to Rutgers amid 2-5 Record

Four days after a 37-30 loss to Rutgers that extended Maryland's winless streak in Big Ten play to 12 games dating back to last season, Mike Locksley has been fired as head coach.

"Following thoughtful conversations with Coach Locksley, we agreed that a coaching change was in the best interest of Coach Locksley and the Maryland football program," said Jim Smith, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics. "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. We are grateful to Michael, Kia, and his family for everything they have contributed to our university."

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Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, an assistant on Locksley's staff since 2024, will take over as interim head coach.

Per The Athletic's Chris Vannini , Locksley has a $10 million buyout in his contract that requires Maryland to pay half of that within 60 days, pending any sort of settlement agreement between the two sides.

Locksley's deal, which he originally signed in 2022, ran through the 2028 season.

After Maryland hired Jim Smith as its new athletic director in May 2025, there was some uncertainty about Locksley's future with the football program. He finished 4-8 in both 2024 and 2025, but was brought back for a ninth season.

As recently as Sept. 30, four days after a 54-3 home loss to UCLA, Smith said in a statement to Taylor Lyons of the Baltimore Sun that he was still "aligned" with Locksley.

The Terrapins lost their next three games after Smith's statement. Saturday's defeat saw the blow a 10-point halftime lead against a Rutgers team that didn't have a win over an FBS opponent since last November, also against Maryland.

Locksley will finish his Maryland tenure with a 39-54 record. He was originally hired in December 2018 after spending three seasons on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama.

Maryland's best stretch came from the 2021 to '23 seasons when it won three consecutive bowl games. Since the start of the 2024 campaign, the Terps are 10-21 overall and have lost 20 of 22 games against Big Ten teams.