Maryland has begun a coaching search after firing Mike Locksley following a 2-5 start, ending a tenure that also included back-to-back 4-8 seasons. The school turned to long-time assistant Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as interim head coach, but the job appears likely to open for someone else.
That leaves the Terrapins with a choice to make, and one that feels bigger than a simple replacement. Maryland can chase a proven stabilizer, an up-and-coming coordinator, or a coach looking for a reset. There are no easy answers here, but there are several names that make sense on paper.
Charles Huff is one of the most interesting options. The current Memphis head coach was born in Denton, Maryland, and once worked as an assistant for the Terrapins in 2009, so the area is not new to him.
Since then, he’s built a résumé with stops at Marshall, Southern Miss and Memphis, going 44-27 since the 2021 season. Huff has also coached at Penn State, Mississippi State and Alabama, which means he already knows what the Power Four level demands.
For Maryland, the appeal would be stability - though the recruiting piece would require real buy-in.
Brian Kelly is another name to watch, even if it comes with plenty of baggage. The former LSU head coach is now at CBS Sports, but it’s no secret he wants back on the sideline.
His stint at LSU was described as disastrous, and because of that, a major program may not be lining up for him. Maryland may not be the flashiest landing spot, but it does have passionate fans.
Kelly’s track record at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame shows he can build and recruit, and the Terps haven’t exactly struggled to get talent in the door under Locksley - the issue has been development. This could be the kind of job that lets Kelly get back into coaching and rebuild value.
Then there’s the Indiana model, which Maryland will have every reason to study. Curt Cignetti has transformed the Hoosiers, but he’s not doing it alone.
Co-coordinators Mike Shanahan and Bryant Haines followed him from James Madison and have played major roles in Indiana’s rise. Both are now in the Big Ten, both know the conference, and both could be viewed as head coaching candidates before long.
It’s not hard to see why Maryland would look at that path and wonder whether one of them could bring a similar kind of lift.
Billy Napier rounds out the list, and he brings a different kind of profile. He was fired by Florida after coaching the Gators from 2022 to 2025, after earning that job off his success at Louisiana.
He then landed at James Madison after Bob Chesney left, and the Dukes are undefeated under him so far. Napier is a southern coach who has spent his entire career in the region, and he’d be eager to get back to the Power Four.
He has also been a good recruiter, and while Maryland is not a natural geographic fit, the possibility is there.
In Other News...
Indiana Heads To Michigan With An Edge Fans Will Notice
A healthy roster has become one of Indianas quieter advantages heading into Saturdays trip to Michigan. While the Wolverines are juggling a long availability report that includes seven players out and seven more questionable, the Hoosiers arrive with no one listed as unavailable and a roster that looks close to full strength. Even better for Indiana, running back Khobie Martin is expected back after his injury, which gives the Hoosiers another option as they prepare for a Noon ET kickoff on FOX.
In a Big Ten game like this, that kind of stability can matter just as much as scheme or momentum. Michigan will still have plenty of talent on the field, but the uncertainty surrounding so many names on its report adds another layer to a matchup that already carries real weight. Indiana does not have to navigate the same injury concerns, and that edge could be one fans notice once the game starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Raised The Pressure On Two Big Ten Powers
Curt Cignettis start at Indiana has done more than change the mood around Bloomington. It has also sharpened the spotlight on two Big Ten heavyweights now dealing with the awkward reality that rapid turnaround is possible, and that patience is getting thinner in a conference where every stumble gets magnified. With UCLA also in the mix of coaching change and roster upheaval, the leagues latest wave of rebuilding has only made Indianas jump forward look more striking.
For Michigan and Penn State, that comparison is the uncomfortable part. New coaches Kyle Whittingham and Matt Campbell inherit the same modern pressures every program now faces, from the transfer portal to NIL, but Indianas rise under Cignetti is a reminder that excuses do not last long when results start showing elsewhere. The Hoosiers have effectively raised the standard in the room, and that puts even more pressure on the established powers to prove they can keep pace. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces A Make-Or-Break Test As Passing Game Draws Focus
Indiana heads into its upcoming Big Ten matchup with Michigan carrying more than just the usual conference pressure, because the passing game has become a major point of attention. Josh Hoover remains central to what the Hoosiers want to do offensively, and freshman Tommy Carr is part of the conversation as Indiana looks for answers against a Michigan defense that has earned its reputation for being difficult to move the ball against.
The matchup feels like a revealing one for Indiana because recent struggles have sharpened the focus on how the offense responds when the margin for error shrinks. Michigans defensive strength presents a tough test for the Hoosiers, and the way Indiana handles that challenge could say plenty about where the passing game stands right now, even before any final result comes into view. [Read more 🡒]