Maryland athletic director still ‘aligned’ with Locksley amid uncertainty

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At least for now, Maryland athletic director Jim Smith is backing Michael Locksley.

After a 54-3 loss to UCLA on Saturday, the Terps’ most lopsided defeat in seven years, raised questions about the football coach’s future and the direction of the program, Smith, in a statement to The Baltimore Sun this week, said he and Locksley are “aligned on the work in front of us.”

“I believe in our coaches and players as we have turned our attention to Nebraska and look forward to getting on the field this Saturday,” the statement continued.

An athletic department spokesperson added this would be Smith’s last public comment regarding Locksley’s job status.

That apparent alignment likely took form earlier this week. At his postgame news conference Saturday when asked if he expects to have conversations with Smith in the coming days, Locksley said he and the athletic director will have their scheduled weekly meeting Monday to “go through the game.”

At Locksley’s news conference Tuesday, the coach didn’t divulge much about the nature of the conversation, only saying it was “standard” and “usual.”

“We discuss the program, where it is each and every week. Personnel matters like we always talk about,” Locksley said. “Talked about the things we didn’t do well, some things that we need to do well, and we went from there.”

The coach added he had not been given any assurances from Smith about his job status because “there were no need” for them. Firing Locksley before Jan. 1, 2027, would result in a contract buyout of just under $10 million, half of which must be paid within 60 days of the move. Waiting until after that date would drop the owed amount to just under $9 million.

Smith has so far stood by the embattled coach who he inherited when he took the job in the summer of 2025. During a five-game losing streak last year with questions about Locksley’s future hanging over the season, Smith could not guarantee the coach would remain in his role beyond the 2025 season, saying he’d be evaluated over the final three games of that campaign and a decision would be made at season’s end.

Maryland lost its next game to extend the skid to six games. The next day, Smith announced Locksley would be retained for 2026 and promised more resources to help him compete, saying the athletic department was “committed to making the necessary investment” and that they’d review “every aspect of our football program.”

Smith held up his end of that deal. His staff raised an athletic department-record $43.7 million in donations this past year. There’s been upgrades to SECU Stadium. And Locksley was able to keep all of the young core that flashed last season.

But it hasn’t produced better results.

After wins over Hampton and UConn to open Locksley’s eighth season, the Terps have since dropped consecutive games at home. In front of a sell-out crowd, Maryland fell to Virginia Tech, 35-26, to wrap up nonconference play. And this week, with a nor’easter keeping the stadium mostly empty, Locksley’s team wilted in one of the worst losses in recent program history that amplified the calls for his job.

Ending this current spiral won’t be easy for Maryland. The Terps go on the road to Nebraska, 4-0 after a 31-13 win over Michigan State, then No. 5 Ohio State before returning home to face Rutgers (1-3) before a bye week.

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.

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