Mike Locksley Buyout Information and Replacement Coaching Candidates

On Oct. 21, Maryland became the first P4 football program to fire its head coach this season. The Terps were mired in a 12-game Big Ten losing streak, and so eighth-year coach Mike Locksley was sent packing.

The Maryland administration will now get a jump on bringing in a new coach to lead the Terrapins in 2027 and beyond. 

Here’s what the team owes Locksley on his way out the door, plus a few names that could be considered to replace him:

Mike Locksley Contract Buyout

Maryland reportedly owes Mike Locksley $9.94 million to settle their contractual relationship. That number would have gone down to $8.9 million if Locksley was allowed to finish the 2026 season.

Maryland owes Locksley half the buyout ($4.97 million) in a lump sum by Dec. 20. He’ll receive the remainder in installments through the end of 2028.

Mike Locksley Coaching Replacement Candidates

Maryland football is a difficult program to hire for in the current  Big Ten. Success in College Park probably looks a little different than it does in, say, Ann Arbor.

Maryland will be looking to hire a new head coach who can better operate in the current pay-for-play ecosystem. Here are a few names to watch.

Charles Huff

Huff has been on the move a lot since winning the Sun Belt at Marshall in the final year of his contract. He coached at Southern Miss in 2025 and is now at Memphis.

There’s no doubt Huff is an effective head coach, so that box is checked. He grew up in Maryland and retains solid recruiting connections in the Mid-Atlantic. 

Drew Cronic

Cronic is a former FCS head coach who’s now the offensive coordinator at Navy. He’s got experience blending option concepts with modern football, which is exactly the kind of wrinkle that could make Maryland more competitive in a difficult conference. 

It wouldn’t be hard to snag him from nearby Annapolis.

Bill O’Brien

Once upon a time, Bill O’Brien was a lauded Big Ten coach at Penn State. Then, he left for the Houston Texans, and his career has been up and down ever since. 

O’Brien is currently at Boston College, which might be an even more challenging place to win than Maryland. If he wants to finally return to the Big Ten and escape a pro sports town like Boston, College Park could provide an opportunity.

Bryant Haines

If Maryland wants to snipe a hot coordinator, it could do worse than Bryant Haines, the 41-year-old Indiana defensive coordinator who’s been with Curt Cignetti since JMU’s FCS days. He’s absorbed a lot of good information since 2019, including how to recruit, coach, and win in the Big Ten.

A return to the Mid-Atlantic could be the next step for Haines, who’s never been a head coach but will surely be a hot name in the coming offseason cycles. Maryland could land a splashy hire by moving early.