Life as a college football coach can change in the blink of an eye. You can go from a smooth 2-0 start to a season to being fired just five weeks later. That is what Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley found out.
Locksley began the season on the hot seat, one of a handful of coaches. However, his team began the season with a pair of wins over Hampton and UConn before things went south quickly.
Maryland Fires Mike Locksley Amid 5-Game Losing Streak
The Terrapins faced one of their biggest home games in some time when Virginia Tech and James Franklin visited on Sept. 19. The Hokies rolled to a 35-26 win, and things got worse each week for Maryland.
They would lose to UCLA 54-3, Nebraska 48-23, and Ohio State 45-16. Those losses were not a good look, but three good Big Ten teams. However, the final straw came on Oct. 17 when Rutgers rallied from a halftime deficit to pick up a 37-30 road win. On Wednesday, the school fired Locksley during their bye week.
The school named Aszaar Abdul-Rahim as their interim coach while the school looks for Locksley’s replacement. It is not one of the more coveted jobs in the country in terms of money and NIL spending, but a veteran former coach is more than willing to take on the job and try to turn things around, former Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi.
Former Michigan Interim Coach Biff Poggi Lobbies for Maryland Opening
It’s not going to be easy to lure away a current head coach to College Park. However, Poggi, who hails from Baltimore, is lobbying for the job. The former Michigan interim coach, who took over after the school parted ways with Sherrone Moore last December, would like to turn the Terrapins program around. He didn’t mince words.
“Yeah, I really would like the job,” Poggi said, per the Baltimore Sun. “Don’t think you can think, ‘Hey, we’re just going to hire a new coach, and everything’s going to be better. There have been plenty of coaches there that haven’t won.”
That’s all well and good, but the current state of college football is about resources, NIL, and program funding. Maryland isn’t blessed with it compared to the Big Ten powerhouses. However, Poggi dropped a bold statement to the Baltimore Sun.
“If Indiana can win, we can win,” said Poggi.
There will be a search for the next head coach at Maryland. Again, it’s not a job that other Power 4 conference coaches are going to be breaking down the door for. The Big Ten is becoming a premier conference like the SEC. It’s different from the Big 12 and the ACC in terms of competing and winning. There is a reason why James Franklin chose Virginia Tech over other openings across the country.
Locksley’s time in College Park was over for some time. Maryland now looks for its next head coach, but unless they find a lot of money, it’ll be hard to lure away a coach from a Power 4 school that is having success with more resources. Poggi, however, thinks he can win and wants a shot. We’ll see if he gets it.
Former Big Ten Interim Head Football Coach Wants Shot at Maryland Opening