Maryland athletic director Smith announces football coach Locksley will return for 2026 season

Maryland athletic director Jim Smith announced that football coach Mike Locksley will return for his eighth season next year amid mounting public apathy and criticism of his tenure.

In an open letter to Terrapin fans Sunday, Smith said Locksley “needs — and deserves — the full support of our department, our university, and all of Terp Nation. We are fully committed to giving him and our student-athletes the resources and investments necessary to succeed.”

“Coach Locksley bleeds Maryland, has deep and unmatched ties to the DMV, and he has led this program to success unprecedented in our 133-year football history — including three consecutive bowl victories — with three straight winning seasons from 2021-23. Those accomplishments demonstrate what this program is capable of when aligned and supported,” Smith said.

Maryland’s losing streak extended to six games after a 24-6 loss at Illinois on Saturday. After starting 4-0, the 4-6 Terrapins haven’t won since Sept. 20 and haven’t scored a touchdown in their last six quarters of action.

“We are all disappointed that the recent results have fallen short of our expectations,” Smith said. “Coach Locksley believes deeply in the potential of this team — and I share both his belief in the team and his frustration with our record.”

Acknowledging that “the entire environment of college athletics has transformed,” Smith has pledged “a level commitment” of financial resources and support, including through name, image and likeness dollars, to bring Maryland up to the level of its Big Ten Conference peers.

“I have worked closely with Coach Locksley to rapidly strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond, with a clear and focused effort on roster retention, recruiting, and being highly competitive in the transfer portal.”

Additionally, Smith said he, Locksley, and senior deputy athletic director Diana Sabau will undertake a comprehensive review of the program after the season “to make sure we are focused on getting the right type of resources in the right places to build a successful football program in this new era of college football.”

Locksley is 36-42 overall in his seven-year tenure in College Park and 16-41 in Big Ten play, including a 2-14 conference record in the last two seasons. His Maryland teams have been known to stack victories in the first month of the season before struggling to the finish, reflected by a 12-35 record in games played in October and November combined.

Smith is in his first year as athletic director, taking over in July for Damon Evans, who left for the same position at Southern Methodist.

“I am confident that we have the right foundation in place, the enhanced resources that position us to compete at a higher level in 2026, and a coach who can truly own the DMV,” Smith said. “Every decision we’ve made reflects our belief in this program’s potential and its leadership. We are fully committed to getting this right — and making you proud of our football program.”