Terps, Locksley sticking together
Contract extended through 2026 season
Maryland football coach Mike Locksley has received a contract extension, the university announced Friday morning, keeping the former assistant turned head coach in College Park through the 2026 season.
According to records obtained by The Baltimore Sun, Locksley will earn $4 million in 2022 with an annual base salary of $600,000 and a supplemental annual income of $3.4 million. Locksley’s supplemental annual income will increase by $100,000 each season.
“Maryland is not only my dream job, but it’s also home,” Locksley said in a release. “We are building something special here in College Park and I’m extremely grateful and honored to continue to serve as the head football coach at this outstanding university.”
Locksley, 52, has the potential to earn up to $1.5 million in competitive goals compensation, which includes bonuses for bowl wins, reaching the Big Ten Conference Championship and winning the league and Associated Press National Coach of the Year award.
Locksley’s contract can extend an additional two years if Maryland wins seven or more games in 2022 and 2023.
The university will have to pay Locksley 65% of his total remaining annual base salary and supplemental annual income if they terminate the agreement for the best interest of the school. If Locksley decides to terminate his contract for another employment or consulting opportunity in intercollegiate athletics or professional sports, he will have to pay the school $7 million in 2022, $5 million in 2023, $1.5 million in 2024, $1 million in 2025 and $500,000 in 2026.
Locksley’s extension comes after he led the Terps to a 7-6 record, their first winning season since 2014. Maryland steamrolled Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl in December, the program’s first bowl victory in 11 years.
Locksley, who has a 13-23 record with the Terps but is 12-18 (6-17 Big Ten Conference) since taking over in 2018 after the firing of coach D.J. Durkin, led one of the best offenses in the Big Ten Conference a year ago, as Maryland was fourth in the league in points (29.3) and total yards (442.2) per game.
Led by redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the Terps set single-season records in total yards (5,740), passing yards (3,960), completions (339) and completion percentage (.693) as the Alabama transfer had one of the best seasons in program history with 3,860 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
“Coach Locksley uses the mantra ‘The Best Is Ahead’ and it is for Maryland football,” athletic director Damon Evans said in a news release. “[Locksley] has done a great job revitalizing our football program. Last season, culminating with the emphatic win in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, demonstrated the progress he is making.”
Locksley, the 37th coach in Maryland history who signed a five-year deal worth $2.5 million annually in 2018, came to College Park after three seasons at Alabama, where he served as an offensive analyst before transitioning to offensive
coordinator. The Washington native is 15-49 overall as a head coach after winning just two of his 28 games while leading New Mexico from 2009 to 2011.
In 2018, Locksley received the Broyles
Award as the nation’s best assistant coach, as Alabama averaged 45.6 points and 522.0 yards per game and set single-season school records for points scored (684), total offense (7,830 yards) and passing yards (4,854).
Before Alabama, Locksley was Maryland’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2012 to 2015. It was Locksley’s second stint with the Terps, as he was the team’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 1997 to 2002. The Towson State graduate was also the offensive coordinator at Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Florida from 2003 to 2004.
Locksley is considered among the best recruiters in college football, getting commitments from 33 players who were rated either four- or five-star prospects by 247Sports. In 2021, Maryland’s recruiting class ranked 18th in the country, according to 247Sports.
“There is still plenty of work to be done to elevate this program to where I believe it should be nationally, but I know that we have the right people and structure in place to ensure that the best is ahead for the Terps,” Locksley said.*