Aazaar Abdul-Rahim wasted no time reshaping Maryland’s defensive staff after taking over as interim head coach, moving quickly to fill several openings with a mix of internal promotions and familiar faces from the program’s recent past.
Zac Spavital is set to step into the defensive coordinator role, dropping the “co” from his title as Abdul-Rahim shifts into the head coaching chair. James Thomas will move up as well, taking on a co-defensive coordinator title that essentially fills the role Abdul-Rahim previously held.
For Spavital, the promotion gives him another shot at running a defense. He previously served as defensive coordinator at Texas State for four seasons starting in 2019 and was co-defensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2018. Since arriving at Maryland before the 2023 season, the Tulsa, Ok., native spent two years as safeties coach and the last two as inside linebackers coach, earning strong marks as a position teacher along the way.
Thomas has built his path through a series of roles in College Park. He came in during 2021 as a quality control analyst and quickly formed a productive recruiting tandem with former coordinator Brian Williams, working both in Florida and locally.
Thomas briefly joined Billy Napier’s first staff at Florida before being brought back by Mike Locksley weeks later as special teams coordinator ahead of the 2022 season. He also worked under former coordinator Ron Zook during his time at Maryland, coached outside linebackers for three seasons beginning in 2022, and handled safeties the past two seasons.
Before that, Thomas was co-defensive coordinator at Angelo State. The Orlando, Fl. native has also been praised consistently by players and on the recruiting trail.
The staff changes also opened the door for two former Maryland players to move into position coach jobs. David Brownlee has been named outside linebackers coach, while Will Likely will coach the cornerbacks.
Brownlee, a former walk-on linebacker, climbed through the program after his playing career in College Park ended. He moved into a defensive analyst role, working with the defensive line and outside linebackers, and earned a reputation as a strong connector with recruits.
He also became a steady presence for players during offseason workouts. Now he takes over a room led by Sidney Stewart and Zion Elee, giving the Bishop McNamara product a chance to handle an interim role.
Likely has been with the program since Abdul-Rahim returned ahead of the 2024 season, and now he gets his first chance to coach the position group he once starred for. As a player from 2013 to 2016, the former All-Big Ten selection left his mark across the record book, ranking top ten in several categories, including career interceptions returned for touchdowns (2), kickoff return yards (2,233), kickoff returns (87), kickoff returns for touchdowns (2), kickoff yards per return (25.7), punt return yards (864), all-purpose yards per play (18.82), yards per punt return (12.90), punt returns for touchdowns (4), punt returns (67) and interception return yards (170). He also started on both offense and defense in each of his final two seasons and was named the 2015 Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year.
In Other News...
Baylor May Have A Maryland Opportunity Worth Watching Closely
With Mike Locksley out at Maryland, the spotlight has quickly shifted to what could happen next with the roster, even though the programs players are not yet free to make any final moves. Baylor is being mentioned as a possible landing spot to watch, mostly because several Terrapins would appear to fit what the Bears want to do if they choose to explore a transfer route. Malik Washington, Zion Elee and Darrell Carey are among the names being floated as potential fits, which gives the situation some real intrigue beyond the coaching search itself.
For now, though, this is still more of a waiting game than a movement story. No Maryland player has officially entered the Transfer Portal, and the clock on any actual departures does not start until the Terps hire or announce a new permanent head coach. Once that happens, the roster could become much more fluid, and Baylor will be one of the programs worth monitoring closely as the window opens. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Locksley Opened Up About Maryland Exit And What Comes Next
After eight seasons at Maryland, Mike Locksley is no longer the head coach of the program, and he says he has made his peace with how it ended. In speaking with ESPN, Locksley reflected on the challenge of trying to rebuild the Terps while navigating the realities that come with trying to stabilize a football program over time.
The part that stood out most in his remarks was the strain of keeping the operation intact while success brought constant turnover around him. Even as he looks ahead to his next step, Locksley said he is weighing a few different paths in the game and beyond it, leaving his future as one of the more interesting storylines to follow now that his Maryland chapter is closed. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Is Reshaping Buzz Williams Staff Before A Pivotal Season
Maryland is heading into a pivotal season with a reworked Buzz Williams staff and a clear sense that the behind-the-scenes structure matters as much as anything that happens on the floor. Williams recently announced updates for the 2026-27 season, including new titles and responsibilities across the coaching and support staff, as the Terps prepare to open Nov. 2 at home against Bucknell and lean into a year that will also feature special promotions tied to the 25th anniversary of the 2002 NCAA title team.
The moves come with the usual preseason buzz around tickets and expectations, but they also hint at a broader reset in how the program wants to operate day to day. Maryland has already put season tickets and single-game tickets on sale for fans looking ahead, and this next stretch will be about whether the new staff alignment can help sharpen the programs workflow while the spotlight intensifies around a season that figures to draw extra attention in College Park. [Read more 🡒]