Mike Locksley Addresses Maryland Job Status, What is HC's Contract Buyout?

Maryland has lost five consecutive games and is in danger of missing a bowl for the second straight season, but head coach Mike Locksley still believes he is the man for the job.

He told reporters Tuesday he deserves to keep that job, adding "I'm the head coach at the University of Maryland."

He would be owed a $13.4 million buyout should the athletic department decide to fire him this year before his contract runs out after the 2027 campaign, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. Rittenberg also noted first-year athletic director Jim Smith, who was not the one to hire Locksley, previously said the coach's status would be decided after the 2025 season.

That 2025 season started off in promising fashion with the Terrapins winning their first four games, one of which was a Big Ten contest on the road against Wisconsin.

However, they have lost five straight, which is a microcosm of the issues since Locksley took over in 2019. 

Fast starts and slow finishes are nothing new during his tenure:

• 2019: 2-0 start, 3-9 final record
• 2020: 2-1 start, 2-3 final record
• 2021: 4-0 start, 7-6 final record
• 2022: 6-2 start, 8-5 final record
• 2023: 5-0 start, 8-5 final record
• 2024: 3-1 start, 4-8 final record

Counting his 1-5 record in 2015 as the interim after Maryland fired Randy Edsall, Locksley is 37-46 as the program's head coach. While there have been some positives, such as three straight bowl wins from 2021 through 2023, his tenure has been largely disappointing.

This season has been as well barring a strong finish against Illinois, Michigan and Michigan State. The Terrapins have to win at least two of those contests to be eligible for a bowl.

If they don't, his job status will be a major talking point heading into the offseason.