COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Maryland Terrapins football team is keeping their guy at the head of their program, at least for the foreseeable future. Head coach Michael Locksley has agreed to terms on a new five-year contract with the team, University of Maryland Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Damon Evans announced Friday.
Locksley is coming off his first season with a winning record for the Terps since taking the reins full-time in 2019. He previously had a brief stint as interim head coach following Randy Edsall's firing in 2015.
"Coach Locks has done a great job revitalizing our football program," Evans said. "[He] continues to build our program and has high expectations and we know he is the man to lead us there. We are thrilled he will be leading our football program into the future as the best is certainly ahead."
Under Locksley's leadership last season, the team finished strong with a 54-10 drubbing of their former ACC-rival Virginia Tech Hokies in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. It was the first bowl appearance for UMD in five years and their first victory since 2010. Even more impressive, Maryland's 54 points in the game marked the most ever for a Terrapin team in a bowl game and the most points ever scored by any team in Pinstripe Bowl history.
In a statement released by the school, Locksley said, "I appreciate the trust President Pines and Damon Evans have shown in me and I'm thankful for all of the support that our administration has given to make sure our student-athletes are in a position to be successful both on and off the field." He added, "Maryland is not only my dream job, but it's also home."
The Terps under Locksley are one of only two teams (Ohio State) to rank among the top four teams in the Big Ten conference in scoring offense, total offense and passing offense in 2021. Maryland set numerous school records this past season, including the single-season marks for total yards (5,740) and passing yards (3,960).
The news comes a day ahead of the annual Red-White spring game played by the team, which will be viewable on the Big Ten Network at 12 p.m. The players rallied around Locksley last season and are expected to be excited to keep their skipper.
Locksley has been coaching at a high level since taking the head coaching job for the University of New Mexico back in 2009. His efforts there were unsuccessful before being relieved in 2011, when he joined UMD as an assistant coach.
In 2016 he joined Nick Saban's powerhouse staff at the University of Alabama as an offensive analyst, eventually climbing to the role of offensive coordinator, winning a national championship with the Crimson Tide as well as the Broyles Award in 2018, a recognition given to the nation's top college assistant football coach.
According to the team, 28 players coached by Locksley have earned All-Big Ten recognition for their performance on the field. In the classroom, 79 Terrapins have garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors during his tenure, including a program-record 32 in 2021.
Locksley is originally a D.C. native and played as a defensive back for Towson University in the late '80s. The Terps start their 2022 season at home against the University of Buffalo on Sept. 3.