Mike Locksley to return as Maryland for 2026 with NIL boost: Terrapins are 37-47 in his tenure

Amid a second straight disappointing season, Mike Locksley received the support of his boss. Maryland athletic director Jim Smith confirmed to CBS Sports' John Talty that Locksley will return for the 2026 season -- his eighth in College Park -- and get more resources as well.

"To continue building on this foundation, coach Locksley needs — and deserves — the full support of our department, our university and all of Terp Nation," Smith wrote in a letter to the Maryland community. "We are fully committed to giving him and our student-athletes the resources and investments necessary to succeed. I have worked closely with Coach Locksley to rapidly strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond, with a clear and focused effort on roster retention, recruiting, and being highly competitive in the transfer portal.

The comments came after the Terrapins lost, 24-6, to Illinois. Maryland has now lost six straight games following a 4-0 start and, at 4-6 (1-6 Big Ten), needs to win out to guarantee bowl eligibility.

Locksley, 55, is 37-47 overall, in his time with Maryland, including a 1-5 mark as an interim coach in 2015. He then spent three seasons at Alabama, eventually ascending to offensive coordinator and Broyles Award winner, before Maryland brought him aboard.

After a 3-9 record in 2019 and a 2-3 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, the Terrapins broke through with a 7-6 campaign in 2021. That included a win in the Pinstripe Bowl, the program's first bowl win since the 2010 season. The Terrapins continued their ascension, posting consecutive 8-5 seasons in 2022 and 2023, with both seasons ending in bowl wins; it was the first time in program history Maryland won a bowl game in three straight seasons.

But the Terrapins struggled to a 4-8 season in 2024 that included a 1-8 mark in conference play, and this season has gone similarly off the rails; after three narrow losses to start this skid, Maryland has lost its last three games by a combined 78 points. Only Wisconsin and Purdue scored fewer points in Big Ten play.

Locksley, a Washington, D.C. native, made significant inroads on the recruiting trail, though. Maryland had 247Sports' 25th-ranked recruiting class in 2025. That group featured six four-star recruits, including quarterback Malik Washington, who has thrown for 13 touchdowns and run for four more as a true freshman. The 2026 class is currently 72nd in the nation but includes five-star edge defender Zion Elee.

"I am confident that we have the right foundation in place, the enhanced resources that position us to compete at a higher level in 2026 and a coach who can truly own the DMV," Smith wrote in his letter.

The Terrapins haven't had as much luck in the transfer portal, where they had the 87th-ranked class in 2024 and the 34th-ranked class in 2025. Locksley lost 32 players to transfer after last season.

Smith's endorsement, however, is a significant one, especially considering he only arrived in May 2025 and has set his sights on turning the Terrpins into a football power.

Maryland's new regime has vision to spare and lofty goals -- but now comes the expensive part

John Talty

"If we're good with a three-year plan, which is what I'm working with, then I think we're in the top tier of the Big Ten within three years in football," Smith told CBS Sports' John Talty just over two weeks ago.

The Terrapins close this season against No. 18 Michigan and Michigan State.