Maryland AD doesn't commit to Mike Locksley returning to coach Terrapins in 2026

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Maryland athletic director Jim Smith is not saying if Mike Locksley will be back to coach the Terrapins in 2026.

Maryland started the season 4-0 but has lost five straight games. After the first three losses in that stretch came by a combined 11 points, Maryland lost 55-10 at home to No. 2 Indiana and lost 35-20 to Rutgers in Week 11.

With games remaining against Illinois, No. 18 Michigan and Michigan State, Maryland needs to win two of those three to make a bowl game. And when asked by the Baltimore Sun about Locksley’s status as the team’s coach, he wasn’t going to talk about next season.

In a brief interview with The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday, Smith did not answer if Locksley will remain Maryland’s coach into 2026, saying he will coach the team’s final three games this season and “we’ll determine at the end of the year where we are.”

“He’s gonna coach against Illinois, then he’s gonna coach against Michigan, and then he’s gonna coach against Michigan State,” Smith said. “We got a chance to win three games and go to a bowl game. We can’t make a decision right now. That’d be silly.”

After the answer, Smith and athletic department spokesperson Jason Yellin cut off a follow-up question about if Smith would view a five-win season as “progress,” as Locksley opined last week, before Smith said, “I know you have an angle” and “every coach is being evaluated every week” and walking away.

Smith is in his first season as the team’s athletic director. He replaced Damon Evans after Evans left Maryland for SMU.

Locksley is in his eighth season with the Terrapins and Maryland has a record of 37-46 in his tenure. The Terps missed a bowl game in 2024 after a 4-8 season following three straight bowl appearances.

The coach admitted before the 2025 season at Big Ten media days that he had lost the locker room in 2024. Maryland was 3-1 in September before going 1-7 the rest of the season. After a 29-28 home win over USC, Maryland lost its final five games of the season and none was closer than 14 points.

Locksley was asked if he felt like he was coaching for his job over the final three games of the season at his Tuesday news conference. After simply replying “no,” he was then asked if he deserved to stay as the Terps’ coach and said “yes” before being asked to expound.

“I’m the head coach at the University of Maryland,” Locksley said.

That certainly appears to be true for the next three games. After that, however, it will be up to Smith to decide. 

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