This might not be the most popular interview candidate the New York Jets speak with this coaching cycle.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Jets are “spending a portion of today” interviewing Maryland head football coach Mike Locksley for their vacant head coach role.
“NYJ’s expansive search has left no stone unturned, taking a look at a leader and culture-setter in college,” Rapoport added on social media.
Sources: The #Jets are spending a portion of today interviewing #Maryland HC Mike Locksley, as the former #Bama OC and current Terps coach gets his another NFL interview.
NYJ’s expansive search has left no stone unturned, taking a look at a leader and culture-setter in college. pic.twitter.com/N4ziZ1Tv0l
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2025
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Locksley’s Resume Does Not Stand Out
This is the most off-the-wall interview the Jets are set to conduct in 2025.
Locksley has been exclusively a college football coach for the last 32 years. He has been a head coach at two different places including New Mexico and most recently at Maryland where he currently works.
During his tenure, Locksley has a 35-67 record. This past season he finished 4-8 with the Terrapins.
“Yeah, that is a surprising one. That is not a name that I’ve heard before on the circuit but that speaks to your point about no stone unturned. I think they’re [the Jets] another organization like the Cowboys that needs a leader at that head coach spot more than – like I’m not saying Ben Johnson wouldn’t be a great hire if they did it or something like that but they need a leader. They need someone who can re-establish the structure in that organization similar to Dallas they need somebody who can be the figurehead of it and who knows how to control everything instead of all the nonsense we normally hear from the Jets,” Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus told me on “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.”
Maryland Insider Ahmed Ghafir said on social media that, “Mike Locksley was also linked to the Bears weeks ago and interviewed for Miami’s head coaching job prior to Mike McDaniel’s hire.”
This Would be a Strange Pivot For NYJ
I’d like to preface my commentary by saying the Jets shouldn’t overlook anyone. They have gotten so much wrong for so long that they owe it to themselves and their fans to explore all options.
With that being said, this Locksley conversation is bizarre.
He has never been at the NFL level. Locksley is 30 games below .500 as a head coach at the college football level. He is coming off of one of his worst seasons in 2024.
It’s unclear what exactly they see in the veteran coach. That said, this is the first reported dive by the Jets into the college football ranks this cycle as they search for their next head coach.
Jim Harbaugh is a unique example but he left the college ranks last year and turned the Los Angeles Chargers into an instant playoff team. Now he is different because he had prior NFL experience but still.
There have been plenty of great success stories of college football coaches jumping to the next level. In fairness, there have been plenty of failures too.
I’m not sure Locksley is the right guy, but I like the exploration of college football minds. It shows that the Jets have a very open mind during this process which can only be good news.
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Jets Turn Heads With Strange Interview of 32-Year College Football Coach