$30 Million College Football Coach Surges as Favorite to Get Fired After Humiliating Loss

Coming out of college football's Week 4 action this weekend, one head coach put himself squarely on the chopping block and could hear his name called first this season.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hot seat may be an overused term to describe college football head coaches who have put their jobs in danger with poor outcomes, but it’s a perfect description for the position Mike Locksley has put himself in as Maryland head coach already in 2026.

The latest issue arose this weekend as Locksley’s team came out on the wrong end of a 54-3 result against UCLA, inspiring the locals to shower the stadium with boos, and putting the Terps coach’s job security squarely in focus.

Coming off consecutive 4-8 seasons, Maryland is now 2-2 on the year, with two losses before the end of September for the first time since Locksley’s debut in 2019. Make it 10 losses in their last 12 games and likely more to come as Big Ten play continues.

Which naturally raises the question: How much would it cost to make a move?

Mike Locksley Buyout, Contract Details at Maryland

If the school were to part ways with its head coach before the end of the 2026 college football season, they would owe him an estimated $9.94 million, needing to pay half of that buyout figure, $4.97 million, in one payment within 60 days of the decision.

Locksley would then be owed 65 percent of his total remaining compensation, taking it in equal installments through the end of his $30.5 million contract through 2028. Here is the complete breakdown of what Maryland would owe —

1. The buyout drops to $8.9 million after the 2026 season.
2. Then drops to $4.5 million after the 2027 season.
3. And finally, to $0 after the 2028 season.

The Maryland coach receives $6.4 million in salary this season, with the payments split into $600,000 in base pay and $5.8 million in supplemental compensation.

His contract is set for increased pay with his salary at $6.7 million for 2027 and $7 million for 2028.

That buyout includes no mitigation or offset obligations for Locksley, who is in his eighth season with Maryland, and having gone 1-8 in Big Ten competition in each of the last two seasons. The Terrapins haven’t defeated a Power Four opponent since last September.

Overall, the Terps are 39-50 under Locksley’s direction, including a 17-48 conference record. He had three straight winning seasons with bowl wins from 2021-23, but since then has finished near the bottom of the Big Ten.

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