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...
Minnesota Still Has Iowa Worried Despite That Purdue Letdown
Minnesotas season has already taken a few sharp turns, which is part of why Iowa is treating Saturdays meeting for the Floyd of Rosedale as anything but routine. The Gophers were rolling early in Big Ten play before the momentum stalled, and the latest reminder came in a rough loss to Purdue that snapped the feel-good stretch and reset the conversation around what Minnesota is right now.
Kirk Ferentz knows the backdrop well enough to steer clear of the noise and keep the Hawkeyes locked on the task in front of them. With playoff chatter hovering around the broader picture, Iowas focus is on the matchup itself and the challenge Minnesota still presents, regardless of what happened in the last few weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Purdues Next Exhibition Could Clarify One Key Role Before Opening Night
Purdue gets one more preseason look when it meets Purdue Fort Wayne in exhibition play, and the matchup should offer a clearer picture of how Matt Painter wants his rotation to settle before opening night. The Boilermakers used their first exhibition against Ball State to experiment with lineups and roles, a common October wrinkle for a team still sorting out who fits where and how the offense will flow once the games count.
What makes this one worth watching is the center of attention it could create in the middle of the floor. Exhibition games are never a perfect preview of the regular season, but they can reveal who is handling responsibility well enough to become a focal point and who still needs a little more polish before Purdue leans on him in meaningful minutes. [Read more 🡒]