Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, who was named the Broyles Award winner Tuesday as the top assistant coach in college football, has been hired as Maryland‘s next head football coach, the school announced Tuesday night.”
I am thrilled to be returning home and to have the opportunity to lead the Maryland Football program,” Locksley said in a statement. “This has always been a special place for me and my family, and I am honored to take on this role at the state’s flagship institution. Our goal is to create an atmosphere and environment focused on the total development of our student-athletes. Our focus will always be to help them become more successful in all areas of their life through their association with our program.”
Locksley, 48, just finished his second season as a full-time assistant on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama and his first season as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator. They head into the College Football Playoff ranked second nationally in scoring offense (47.9 points per game) and broke school records this season for points scored (623), total offense (6,859 yards), offensive touchdowns (77) and passing yards (4,231).
This will be Locksley’s third stint at Maryland.
He oversaw the running backs there from 1997 to 2002. He then was the Terps’ offensive coordinator for four years (2012-15), and was named the team’s interim head coach for the last six of 2015 after Randy Edsall was fired. He went 1-5 as Maryland’s interim head coach and also was 1-15 for parts of three seasons in 2009-11 as New Mexico’s head coach before being fired.
Saban called Locksley one of the best recruiters he’s had at Alabama, and Locksley has extensive recruiting ties up and down the Atlantic seaboard.
“As we narrowed the search for the individual best suited to lead our program, Michael not only stood out for his talent as a coach, but most importantly for the role he has played as a mentor to student-athletes throughout his career and his deep commitment to helping them grow into leaders on and off the field,” AD Damon Evans said. “On the field, Michael orchestrated one of the country’s most prolific offenses at the University of Alabama and has long been regarded for his recruiting prowess. Today he was recognized as the nation’s top assistant coach in the country, and I’m excited for him to be leading our program.”
Matt Canada, who served as the Terrapins’ interim head coach this past season, and Michigan quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton were the other finalists to interview for the job, sources told ESPN.
Canada had been brought in as Maryland’s offensive coordinator in January and went 5-7 as interim head coach, taking over after DJ Durkin was placed on administrative leave in August as the school investigated allegations of a toxic culture within the football program. Maryland fired Durkin on Oct. 31.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg and Chris Low contributed to this report.