Maryland to keep coach Mike Locksley and boost NIL, AD says - ESPN

Mike Locksley will remain in place as Maryland's football coach in 2026, and the school plans to significantly increase financial support for the program, athletic director Jim Smith told ESPN.

Locksley is in his eighth season with the Terps (4-6), who have lost six straight games. Maryland went 4-8 last season after winning bowl games in three consecutive seasons, which marked the longest such streak in program history.

Smith told ESPN that prioritizing retaining key players, including a star-studded freshman class, is a big part of the strategy. Smith also said Maryland needs to catch up financially to be competitive with the top teams in the Big Ten.

«We are working to strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond and have already seen success for next year,» Smith told ESPN. «We are prioritizing roster retention, recruiting and competing in the transfer portal.»

Smith said he informed Locksley on Sunday and will share his decision with the team.

Locksley is 37-47 in his eight seasons at Maryland. He went 1-8 in league play last season and is 1-6 this year. It would have cost more than $13 million to fire Locksley, according to his contract.

Along with the impressive run of bowl wins, Locksley has compiled a strong young nucleus on this team. That includes promising freshman quarterback Malik Washington (13 passing TDs, 4 rushing) and two productive freshman defensive ends Sidney Stewart (8.5 TFLs) and Zahir Mathis (7.0 TFLs).

Those players were a key part of a 2025 recruiting class that included seven ESPN 300 commits and was ranked No. 24 in the country by ESPN.

«We are optimistic about the young talent in our program and where we are in recruiting,» Smith told ESPN.

Smith said the available NIL money for Maryland