Maryland’s coaching search is underway after the program moved on from Mike Locksley following a 2-5 start this season. The Terps are coming off 4-8 finishes in each of the last two years, and the change came after it became clear Locksley wasn’t going to be the answer.
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim has been elevated to interim head coach, but he’s likely not the long-term pick. That leaves Maryland with a bigger question: does it swing for a proven name, chase a rising coordinator, or look for someone who can bring stability fast?
There aren’t many Curt Cignettis available, but Indiana’s rise is at least proof that a program can be transformed. With that in mind, here are four names Maryland should have on its board.
Charles Huff stands out as a familiar fit. The Memphis head coach was born in Denton, Maryland, and spent time as an assistant on the Terps staff in 2009. He knows the area and grew up around the program, which matters in a job where connection can count as much as résumé.
Huff has already handled three head-coaching stops, at Marshall, Southern Miss and Memphis. None of those are blue-blood jobs, but he has won enough to get attention, going 44-27 since the 2021 season.
He’s also coached at Penn State, Mississippi State and Alabama, so he’s seen the demands of Power Four football up close. For Maryland, the appeal is obvious: he could bring steadiness.
The concern is whether he can get the kind of recruiting buy-in the job requires.
Brian Kelly is another possibility, though a very different one. He’s currently working as a college football analyst with CBS Sports after what the source describes as a disastrous run at LSU. A return to coaching would likely depend on the right opportunity, and Maryland may be one of the few jobs that could make sense.
Kelly has coached at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame, and his reputation has long rested on his recruiting ability. Maryland hasn’t had a recruiting problem under Locksley so much as a development problem, which makes Kelly an interesting fit on paper. The Terps may not be a giant brand, but they have passionate fans, and this could be a chance for Kelly to get back in the game and rebuild momentum.
Indiana’s coordinators, Mike Shanahan and Bryant Haines, are also worth watching. Curt Cignetti’s success has made the Hoosiers a model worth studying, and Shanahan and Haines have been a major part of that rise after following Cignetti from James Madison.
Both coaches know the Big Ten now, and both could eventually draw serious head-coaching interest. It’s difficult to picture either remaining in place forever, especially with programs likely to come calling. If Indiana can be turned into a powerhouse, Maryland can at least make the case that the same kind of jump is possible here.
Billy Napier rounds out the list. He was Florida’s head coach from 2022 to 2025, after previously earning the job at Gainesville because of his success at Louisiana. Once he was fired by the Gators, he landed at James Madison after Bob Chesney left, and the Dukes are undefeated under him.
Napier has already shown he can coach at a lower level, and he’ll want back into the Power Four as soon as possible. He’s a southern coach who has only worked in the South, but the source material points to a fit worth considering. He’s been a strong recruiter, and while he would love to turn James Madison into another launch point, Maryland could still make sense.
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