New Maryland, Louisville coaches
Maryland hired Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley as its head coach Tuesday night, bringing home a familiar presence after the most tumultuous year in the program’s recent history.
Locksley, who won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, was Maryland’s running backs coach from 1997 to 2002 and returned as offensive coordinator from 2012 to ’15. He spent the last three years at Alabama, including last season as co-offensive coordinator and this year as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.
“I am thrilled to be returning home and to have the opportunity to lead the Maryland football program,” Locksley said in a statement. “This has always been a special place for me and my family.”
It is Locksley’s first chance to be a full-time head coach since he went 2-26 at New Mexico from 2009 to ’11. He was Maryland’s interim coach for the final six games of 2015 after Randy Edsall’s firing, going 1-5.
Matt Canada, who served as interim coach after DJ Durkin was fired at the end of October, presided over a 5-7 season. He was credited with keeping the team together under difficult circumstances and he interviewed for the permanent job, but Maryland instead went with Locksley.
Louisville hired Scott Satterfield as head coach on a six-year contract with a base annual salary of $1.625 million. Satterfield led Appalachian State to a 51-24 record with three bowl wins in six seasons. Bryant to Missouri
Former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant announced he will play at Missouri next season.
Bryant, a 6-foot-3 graduate transfer, was 16-2 as the Tigers’ starter and led them to an Atlantic Coast Conference title and the College Football Playoff. He threw for 3,263 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions the last two seasons.
Former Arkansas wideout Jonathan Nance, the Razorbacks’ leading receiver in 2017, also picked Missouri.
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Among players to announce they’ll enter the draft: Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham, Mississippi receiver A.J. Brown and North Carolina receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams. ... Arkansas quarterback Cole Kelley will transfer . ... Kentucky State fired coach John L. Smith and replaced him with defensive coordinator Kevin Weston on an interim basis.