Make or break? Mike Locksley under pressure entering 7th season at Maryland
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The Maryland Terrapins went 4-8 last season in what was termed a rebuilding year for Mike Locksley and his staff. The main question now is what a rebuild even looks like at Maryland, and will Locksley be in College Park for long enough to see the fruits of his labor.
Once again, the Terrapins are predicted to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten. Should that happen, the Maryland Terrapins will likely have to look at the Mike Locksley era as a failure, pull the plug, and move on.
Locksley has done some good things at Maryland. He recruits well and has brought in some good players through the transfer portal. However, the roster does not translate to wins, and at some point, he must be held accountable for that lack of success.
For Locksley, that lack of success isn't something he was used to before arriving at Maryland. He came to College Park from Alabama, where he was the offensive coordinator under the recently retired Nick Saban. During his time in Tuscaloosa, Locksley won a national championship and received the Broyles award, which is given to the nation's top assistant. But that success at Alabama hasn't translated to success at Maryland, where the Terps have averaged just 5 wins each season with Locksley leading the way.
A recent prediction for Maryland has the Terrapins winning their first three games against Florida International University, Northern Illinois University, and Towson. The Terps are also predicted to beat Washington in Week 5, but lose to every other Big Ten team on their schedule — putting the Terps at 4-8 on the season once again.
That result would be simply unacceptable. As arguably the top conference all of college football, Big Ten schools have high expectations. And if Maryland limps its way to another losing record with Locksley leading the way, it would likely signal the end of his coaching tenure with the Terrapins.
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Scott Salomon joined On SI in April 2024, covering breaking news and analysis for various On SI channels. Scott covers the NFL, College Football, MLB, and the WNBA. Scott has been covering local and national sports for over 35 years. Scott graduated from the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott is also a member of the PFWA and the FWAA. Follow Scott Salomon on X @ScottSalomonNFL.