Mike Locksley may or may not return as the college football coach at Maryland next season. Calls continue to mount for his ouster after another disappointing campaign in 2025.
However, the Terrapins can still finish at 7-5 with three-straight wins over Illinois, Michigan and Michigan State.
Regardless of how Maryland ends the college football season, it does not sound like the money is there to let Locksley go. The boosters are not interested in paying him such a large fortune not to coach.
What is Mike Locksley’s buyout?
Locksley, 55, was hired to replace Matt Canada as head football coach at Maryland in Dec. 2018 after a brief stint as the interim in 2015, three years at New Mexico and multiple years as an offensive coordinator. It started slow.
The Terrapins went a combined 5-12 in the first two seasons of the Locksley era, which includes the pandemic in 2020. And then they started winning.
Maryland reached (and won) three bowl games in a row in 2021, 2022 and 2023 to finish at 7-6, 8-5 and 8-5. It was a solid run for a middle-tier Big Ten program. I think most fans of the program would sign the dotted line for eight wins prior to the season every season. That’s a good year!
Unfortunately, the success has not continued. The Terrapins finished 4-8 last season. They currently sit at 4-5 this season with wins only against Florida Atlantic, Northern Illinois, Towson and Wisconsin. Losses to UCLA and Rutgers are most disappointing.
Maryland needs to beat two of its next three opponents to reach bowl eligibility. That seems unlikely.
Thus, Locksley is on the hot seat with an overall record of 37-46. His buyout hovers around $13 million.
Is Maryland going to fire its college football coach?
Mike Locksley’s contract runs through the 2027 season. He gets paid an average of $6.1 million per year.
Should the Terrapins choose to let him go early without cause, it will be costly.
That could be the reason Locksley returns in 2026. There is not enough money in College Park.
Well, there is. It’s not like Maryland’s booster base is broke. They are just being stretched too thin. The modern era of college football requires these boosters to essentially fund the entire roster with their own money. No tax incentives. Nothing.
As a result, it sounds like the Terrapins’ booster base is not willing to pay $13 million to fire a coach.
It would be rather embarrassing if the reason Mike Locksley keeps his job is because Maryland cannot find $13 million over three years. It may also be able to negotiate a smaller number if it is paid in a lump sum.
Either way, the longer the university waits to make a decision, the bigger the toll it will have on the program. This “will they, won’t they” limbo creates problems in recruiting, like with Zion Elee’s visit to South Carolina, and with morale.
This season is not yet over for the Terrapins. They can play the spoiler for two quality Big Ten opponents and finish things off with a statement win over a bad Michigan State squad. The players are going to quit if they think their head coach is on the way out. It’s time for a vote of confidence or for the boosters to pay $13 million.