Maryland football fires defensive coordinator after 5th straight loss

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Something had to change after Maryland football’s latest collapse.

Less than 24 hours after the Terps squandered a 10-point halftime lead in a 37-30 loss to Rutgers, coach Michael Locksley fired defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino on Sunday.

Monachino, in his second season with the program, became the first significant coaching departure of a season spiraling out of control. Maryland (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) has lost five straight games and 12 straight conference contests, and Locksley’s future is increasingly uncertain.

“I appreciate Ted’s hard work and dedication to our program during his time in College Park,” Locksley said in a statement. “As I evaluate our program, I believe this change is necessary. We wish Ted all the best moving forward.”

Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, previously Maryland’s co-defensive coordinator, associate head coach for defense and cornerbacks coach, will take over as defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. Inside linebackers coach Zac Spavital will serve as co-defensive coordinator.

The move comes at a cost.

Monachino was scheduled to earn $1.25 million in 2026, tying him with Pep Hamilton as Maryland’s highest-paid assistant coach. The Baltimore Sun obtained his contract, which runs through Dec. 31 and provides for payment of 75% of his remaining guaranteed compensation if the university terminates the agreement in its best interests.

A Maryland athletics spokesperson confirmed Monachino’s employment ended Sunday. Under his contract, the university faces an estimated $190,000 buyout before any applicable offsets.

The dismissal follows a troubling stretch for Maryland’s defense, which has surrendered at least 35 points in each of its five consecutive losses. The Terps allowed 35 against Virginia Tech, 54 against UCLA, 48 against Nebraska and 45 against Ohio State before giving up 37 to Rutgers on Saturday.

Over those five games, Maryland has surrendered an average of 43.8 points per contest.

And the problems have been particularly glaring after halftime.

The Terps have been outscored 92-13 in the second halves of their four Big Ten games, including 61-7 in fourth quarters. Against Rutgers, Maryland led 23-13 at halftime and appeared positioned to end its losing streak against a Scarlet Knights team that entered with a 1-4 record and a lone victory over Howard.

Instead, Maryland surrendered 24 unanswered points. Rutgers outgained the Terps 191-61 in the third quarter, then continued moving the ball against a defense that struggled to get off the field.

The Scarlet Knights converted six of their eight third-down opportunities after halftime. And through four conference contests, Maryland has allowed 833 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, with opponents averaging more than 200 yards per game on the ground.

It is a deterioration for a unit that showed promise during Monachino’s first season. Maryland’s defense tied for the Big Ten lead with 19 interceptions in 2025 and tied for second in the conference with 21 takeaways.

Monachino joined the program in March 2025 after coaching at North Carolina. The longtime assistant brought extensive NFL experience to College Park, including six seasons with the Ravens, where he helped the franchise win Super Bowl 47, and two seasons as the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator.

Locksley hired him as part of an effort to bring more NFL experience to Maryland’s coaching staff. Less than two seasons later, the Terps are looking for another answer.

Related Articles

The change also continues a pattern of turnover among Locksley’s coordinators.

Since returning to Maryland as head coach in 2019, Locksley has had five lead defensive coordinators, including Abdul-Rahim. Jon Hoke oversaw the defense during Locksley’s first two seasons, followed by Brian Stewart in 2021. Brian Williams took over in 2022 and remained through 2024 before Monachino was hired.

The instability has not been limited to one side of the ball. Maryland has also had five lead offensive coordinators during Locksley’s tenure: Scottie Montgomery, Dan Enos, Josh Gattis, Pep Hamilton and current offensive coordinator Clint Trickett.

None has lasted more than two seasons. Montgomery held the position from 2019 to 2020, followed by Enos from 2021 to 2022, Gattis from 2023 to 2024 and Hamilton in 2025.

Now, Abdul-Rahim and Spavital inherit the responsibility of fixing a defense that has struggled throughout conference play.

Both have previous experience overseeing defenses. Abdul-Rahim served as defensive coordinator at UMass in 2019 and co-defensive coordinator at Boston College in 2023 before returning to Maryland in 2024. Spavital spent four seasons as Texas State’s defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022 before joining the Terps.

But the larger questions surrounding Maryland extend well beyond its defensive coordinator.

Locksley is 38-49 in his current tenure, including a 16-47 record in Big Ten play. Since the start of the 2024 season, the Terps are 10-21 overall and 2-20 against conference opponents.

Athletic director Jim Smith publicly backed Locksley on Sept. 30, even as Maryland’s losing streak continued. Firing Monachino represents the most significant staff change since those comments, although the university has not announced any change to Locksley’s status.

The Baltimore Sun asked a Maryland athletics spokesperson whether Smith was involved in or consulted on Monachino’s dismissal and whether his previously stated alignment with Locksley remained unchanged following Saturday’s loss. The department did not immediately respond.

Maryland now enters its bye week with five games remaining, searching for answers after another defeat that only intensified scrutiny of its eighth-year coach.

Monachino is gone. The losing streak, however, remains. And whether a change at defensive coordinator will be enough to alter Maryland’s direction is another question entirely.

Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos