As the Terps have racked up setback after setback to the point of dropping their last five games, calls for a new coach among fans have intensified. In spite of that growing sentiment, athletic director Jim Smith has held firm that Locksley will continue in his role to lead the program — at least for the rest of 2025.

As Maryland (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) prepares to visit Illinois (6-3, 3-3) with the hope of capturing its first victory since Sept. 20 when the team handled Wisconsin, 27-10, the spotlight has shifted to the players who might themselves in the awkward position of defending their coach to fans, boosters or anyone else with critical views.

During Tuesday’s media availability at SECU Stadium, two players said they are playing for everyone, which would presumably include Locksley.

“I think we’re playing for everybody in the building,” said freshman quarterback Malik Washington, a Glen Burnie native and Spalding graduate. “Nobody likes to feel this type of way after losing five straight. You’re playing for the senior guys. This is their last chance, their last opportunity. Some of them have playing football in total, and some in a Maryland uniform. So I think each week, we’ve always been playing for each other.”

Added redshirt junior safety Lavain Scruggs, a Baltimore resident and Spalding graduate: “As a team, we are always playing for one another. Whatever’s going on outside, [the] media, we’re not really worried about that. We’re worried about doing our job, playing against Illinois this weekend. So whatever’s going on, we’re not actually worried about it.”

The lack of concern might be considered admirable in light of the scrutiny that has fallen on Locksley. The five-game skid is tied for the second-longest during his tenure, and the Terps are underdogs against the Fighting Illini.

Saturday’s 35-20 setback at Rutgers assured that Maryland will not finish the season with a winning record in the Big Ten – an accomplishment that has eluded Locksley during his seven-year tenure. The program slipped to 5-18 in November under the former Towson safety.

Despite the lack of success, the players stand by Locksley. Last week, senior safety Jalen Huskey and redshirt senior left guard Isaiah Wright said they would continue to contend for their coach, and Washington and Scruggs did not contradict their teammates’ stances.

For his part, Locksley seemed to chafe at the necessity of the players’ public comments in support of him.

“I don’t like that,” he said. “I’m a big boy. I’ve been a big boy a long time. I’ve done a lot harder things in my life than deal with a five-game losing streak and have to answer questions about what I’ve done. … When you hear those things, it’s encouraging because that means I’ve had a positive impact on the lives of those two guys. That’s doing good work. I’m here to do good work.”

Locksley’s attempt to downplay the players’ defense did not surprise Washington, who implied the coach did not want to add to their already loaded plates.

“I understand why he’s saying it because like I just said, we really just want to focus on being able to play for the person next to you and your brothers that you’ve grinded with this whole offseason to try to make it to this point,” he said.

As troubling as the Terps’ plunge has been, the atmosphere within the program remains the same. Washington said players were cheering each other during Monday’s weightlifting session, and Locksley said he has appreciated their workmanlike approach.

“It’s a little crazy, but the vibes have not changed at all,” Scruggs said. “We’re still the same team because since camp and since all these guys came in, we built this brotherhood, and this brotherhood is very, very strong. And I’ll say the locker room is amazing. The guys want to win. The guys are hungry. We’ve got to get a lot of guys healthy. So the locker is still amazing.”

And for all of the consternation surrounding the program, Maryland could still become eligible for what would be its fourth bowl in the last five years by earning two victories in its last three games against Illinois on Saturday, No. 18 Michigan (7-2, 5-1) on Nov. 22 and Michigan State (3-6, 0-6) on Nov. 29. The odds seem to be stacked against the team, but stranger things have happened before.

Regardless, Locksley said Saturday’s game is the first chance to right the ship.

“It’s to take advantage of the next opportunity,” he said when asked if becoming bowl eligible can inspire the team. “And obviously, the things that we can control is the ability to extend our season, which is something that you would want. Those practices, as I’ve said, are invaluable. And so, priority No. 1 is to get back on the right side of the ledger this week, and then the priority No. 2 is, how do we build on that?”

READER POLL: Should Maryland keep football coach Michael Locksley beyond this season?

Chatter outside of the Jones-Hill House where the Terps practice will not deter them, Washington said.

“We understand that it’s really just the people in the building that matter, the coaches and the faculty and staff that have helped us up to this point and the players that you’ve been working with all offseason to try to get here,” he said. “And now it’s, continue to work for those same people that have worked with you this whole time.”

Could Locksley’s job security serve as another motivation? Not specifically, according to Scruggs.

“We’re motivated every game,” he said. “We’re 0-5 right now. So we’re hungry for this next win. We want to win, we want to win. So that’s what it is.”

That might be the one thing Locksley found himself in alignment with his players.

“We don’t do external motivations in this program,” he said. “It’s a bond. They know I’m going to coach them up until the day I’m not allowed to, and they’re going to play hard for me until they are done playing for me. Those are the types of bonds I’m make in this business, and again, I’ve done the good work throughout 37 years of it.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. 

The fashion choices contradicted what unfolded on the court inside Xfinity Center. The Terps used a 29-10 opening and then withstood a testy lull just before halftime before sprinting to a 84-64 victory before an announced 10,461.

With the win, Maryland (2-1) bounced back from Friday’s 70-60 loss to Georgetown during which the visiting Hoyas led wire-to-wire. So Tuesday’s outcome was a welcome sight for the players and coaches.

In addition to the 29-10 run at the beginning of the first half, the team used a 15-2 burst to open the second to gain some distance from the Braves. Coach Buzz Williams was pleased with those developments even as he watched the Terps let Alcorn State remain competitive.

“I think we probably played 25 minutes the way we want to play,” he said. “I thought the first 10 minutes, a lot of what we want to accomplish was happening on both ends of the floor. Then it really drastically changed from an execution standpoint, a stamina standpoint. And then in the second half, I thought a lot of what happened in the first 10 minutes was very similar — without having watched it — to the first 10 minutes of the first half. Then the air almost went out of the balloon again.”

Senior power forward Pharrel Payne continued his strong start for the Terps, amassing a season-high 22 points and seven rebounds. The Texas A&M transfer entered the game tied for the team lead in points per game at 19 and leading in rebounds per game at 8.5 and is the only player to score at least 10 points in each of his first three games.

Redshirt freshman shooting guard Andre Mills contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior small forward Elijah Saunders finished with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists, and freshman shooting guard Darius Adams compiled 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The offense converted 50% of its field goals (28 of 56), outscored the Braves 34-24 in the paint, and scored 14 second-chance points off of 14 offensive rebounds. Mills noted that the team racked up 14 assists.

“I wouldn’t say there was more of a change tonight,” he said, comparing the games from Tuesday and Friday. “We just shared the ball a little more. We are starting to care about the little things. Every single day, we kind of harp on the little things.”

Payne had been tied for the scoring lead with redshirt junior point guard Myles Rice, who dropped 19 points in his debut for Maryland against Georgetown. But the Indiana transfer returned to a walking boot on his left leg and sat out Tuesday’s game.

The Terps did not appear to miss Rice at the outset. They scored six of the game’s first eight points before the Braves (0-4) tied the score at 7-7 almost three minutes into the game.

Maryland answered by scoring 13 consecutive points in a 5:55 stretch to assume a 20-7 advantage. When junior point guard Jameel Morris sank a layup with 10:26 left in the stanza, that snapped a 6:59 drought during which Alcorn State missed eight straight shots.

The Terps took off on a 9-1 burst to enjoy a 29-10 advantage with 8:28 remaining. That cushion seemed to put the game out of reach.

Maryland vs. Alcorn State in men’s basketball | PHOTOS

Except someone forgot to inform the Braves. Rather than curl up, they reasserted themselves by scoring 10 unanswered points in just over four minutes. On the flip side, Maryland went 5:46 without scoring until Payne drained a pair of free throws with just under three minutes until halftime.

After Payne converted two more free throws at the 2:13 mark to give the Terps a 33-22 lead, they did not score again until halftime. That opened the door for Alcorn State to score the final five points of the half and trail by just 33-27 at intermission.

Fortunately for Maryland, halftime was a timely moment to reset. The team rediscovered its offense and opened the second half with a 15-2 spurt, which proved too much for the Braves to overcome.

Morris came off the bench to pace Alcorn State with 22 points, three assists and two steals, and senior shooting guard Travis Roberts and junior shooting guard Shane Lancaster added 14 and 10 points, respectively. But the Braves suffered their third loss of 20 points or more while absorbing an 0-4 start for the second year in a row.

“We still turned the ball over way too many times,” he said. “We have to really improve in that area. And they did a phenomenal job of rebounding the basketball. It’s one of the things my team has to understand. Coming into these environments and playing teams of this magnitude with this size and this length, you have to put a body on somebody, and I don’t think we did a great job of that this evening.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. 

In a brief interview with The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday, Smith did not answer if Locksley will remain Maryland’s coach into 2026, saying he will coach the team’s final three games this season and “we’ll determine at the end of the year where we are.”

“He’s gonna coach against Illinois, then he’s gonna coach against Michigan, and then he’s gonna coach against Michigan State,” Smith said. “We got a chance to win three games and go to a bowl game. We can’t make a decision right now. That’d be silly.”

After the answer, Smith and athletic department spokesperson Jason Yellin cut off a follow-up question about if Smith would view a five-win season as “progress,” as Locksley opined last week, before Smith said “I know you have an angle” and “every coach is being evaluated every week” and walking away.

Smith’s answer comes three weeks after he voiced support for Locksley in an interview with The Sun. Since that interview, in which Smith said he’s “probably more optimistic than many of our fans,” the Terps are 0-2 with a point differential of minus-60.

Locksley similarly appeared comfortable despite his team’s five-game losing skid during his Tuesday news conference at SECU Stadium. Asked if he feels he’s coaching for his job with three games to play, the coach bluntly said “no.” He added he feels he deserves to remain Maryland’s coach beyond this season and, asked why, said “because I’m the head coach.”

“I really can tell you this team is trending in the right direction,” Locksley said.

Smith was hired in May to replace former athletic director Damon Evans and inherited Locksley and new men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams. Smith has not yet been tasked with hiring or firing any coaches, instead spending the early months of his tenure focused on driving revenue and revamping the football game-day experience. What to do with Locksley will be Smith’s first consequential decision.

Locksley, the state of Maryland’s highest-paid employee, is under contract at just more than $6 million per year through the 2028 season. His reported buyout — the amount the Terps must pay him to terminate the contract — is just over $13 million if the move is made before Dec. 1. Maryland’s season finale is Nov. 29. The early signing period, the first chance for high school seniors to formally commit to a school before another period in February, is Dec. 3. The transfer portal opens Jan. 2, the last key offseason date Maryland and Smith must consider when weighing to make a move.

As Locksley’s seventh season leading the Terps nears an end, the team is again in danger of missing a bowl game and concluding Big Ten play with just one conference win. Maryland started 4-0 with a win over Wisconsin but has lost five consecutive games, including narrow defeats to Washington, Nebraska and UCLA before a 45-point loss to No. 2 Indiana.

The announced sellout crowd started “fire Locksley” chants in the second quarter of that game, which Locksley said he heard but didn’t concern him. It also hasn’t seeped into the locker room, players said.

“I haven’t seen too much,” freshman quarterback Malik Washington said about growing calls for Locksley’s job. “The fans are going to be fans regardless. When teams aren’t doing well, it’s expected. People are going to feel some type of way about the team they’re supporting.”

The Terps followed their loss to the Hoosiers with another to Rutgers, the second consecutive meeting that ended in a loss by two touchdowns after Maryland won the previous three matchups. Locksley said after the game: “we’re down to playing for pride and opportunities for these guys.” The coach is now 16-41 against Big Ten opponents over his seven seasons.

He’ll have at least three more chances. Smith declined to answer if anything beyond that is guaranteed.

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.

The Terps started the 2025 season with four straight wins with a true freshman quarterback under center, but they have since dropped five straight games, including a 55-10 loss to No. 2 Indiana during homecoming and a 35-20 defeat at Rutgers on Saturday.

As a result, coach Michael Locksley has drawn the ire of fans and even some boosters.

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Fellow freshman Lea Bartelme added 13 points for Maryland (3-0), which closed the game on a 38-9 run after trailing for most of the second quarter and throughout the third. The Terrapins also sank their final eight field goals.

Khia Miller scored 18 points and Khadee Hession added 14 for Georgetown (1-1) in the first meeting between the schools inside the Capital Beltway since Nov. 13, 2011.

During Maryland’s extended run, Mack scored seven consecutive points to help the Terrapins regain the lead for good. The last of those came when she grabbed a defensive rebound, ran the length of the floor and then converted a three-point play to make it 60-59.

Later she turned on the style, hitting a baseline 3-pointer and following that with a turnaround, fall-away jumper to complete her day with 1:14 to play that briefly stretched the lead to 20.

Maryland committed nine first-quarter turnovers and yielded all of its 11-point lead. Hession’s 3-pointer capped Georgetown’s 16-3 run and made it 18-16 early in the second. That lead grew to five by halftime and to 55-45 on Miller’s baseline 3-pointer with 2:18 left in the third quarter.

Needing two wins to become eligible for a bowl, the Terps wasted a prime opportunity against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and bumbled their way to a 35-20 loss Saturday evening to lowly Rutgers at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Maryland (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) absorbed its fifth consecutive loss and has just three games left to reverse this downward spiral. To even be considered for what would be a fourth bowl in the past five years, the team must collect two victories at Illinois (6-3, 3-3) on Saturday, against No. 21 Michigan (7-2, 5-1) at home on Nov. 22, and at Michigan State (3-6, 0-6) on Nov. 29.

Coach Michael Locksley, who is now 5-18 in November in his seven years in College Park, acknowledged that the team is in the midst of a difficult period.

“As I told them, it’s my job to remain positive,” he said. “It’s going to be my job to keep showing up for these guys and coach them through this tough stretch. They’ve got the commitment from me and the staff that we’ll do that. We will remain positive about it. It may not feel real good right now, but I can tell you that I know this group will keep pushing, and we’ll keep fighting for each other and finish this thing out the right way.”

Malik Washington paced the Terps with a school single-game record 164 rushing yards by a freshman quarterback. He ran for a score on a 73-yard keeper on the second play of the game and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Kaleb Webb in the second quarter.

Scarlet Knights senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 13 of 20 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those scores went to junior wide receiver Ian Strong, who finished with five catches for 88 yards. And sophomore running back Antwan Raymond set career highs in both yards (242) and carries (41) while rushing for a touchdown.

While Rutgers (5-5, 2-5) won for the second time in its past three games, the team had dropped four of five entering Saturday.

Here are three developments from Saturday’s game.

Maryland’s defense was a sieve

A week after getting gashed for 45 points and 588 yards in a 55-10 trampling by No. 2 Indiana, the Terps’ defense was porous once again. Rutgers outgained Maryland by more than 100 yards through the air (229-98), owned a 25-14 advantage in first downs, and converted 8 of 12 third-down chances.

For much of the first half, the Scarlet Knights went to Raymond early and often. The running back had eight rushes of 8 yards or more in that stanza as he consistently found ample running lanes through the heart of the Maryland defense.

Raymond’s runs softened up the defense to allow Kaliakmanis to dissect the secondary, directing the offense to four straight touchdowns between the second and third quarters.

Strong — whose bobble on a throw from Kaliakmanis contributed to an interception by redshirt junior safety Levain Scruggs (Spalding) that ended a Rutgers drive inside the Terps’ 5-yard line on the Scarlet Knights’ first possession of the game — was particularly adept on slant routes where he could use his 6-foot-3, 211-pound frame to shield the ball from defenders.

Although Maryland increased its interception total to 17 with picks by Scruggs and sophomore cornerback La’khi Roland and nearly had a third by junior cornerback Jamare Glasker, the pass rush produced only one sack by freshman defensive end Nahsir Taylor, and Kaliakmanis often had plenty of time in the pocket to read the field.

Locksley pointed out that the starting unit played its second straight game without junior defensive end Dillon Fontus and that freshman defensive ends Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis and junior linebacker Daniel Wingate (Pallotti) have played through injuries.

“I’ll say this: Our defense has carried us for seven games and have played their butts off, and they’re a little banged up on that side of the ball,” he said. “But the last two games haven’t been good enough on the defensive side to complement what we were able to do offensively a few drives.”

Halloween passed more than a week ago, but the Terps put on their best matador impression against Rutgers.

Washington played superbly — and it still wasn’t enough

It’s difficult to pin blame for the loss on the Glen Burnie native and Spalding graduate.

Washington’s 73-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a 54-yard scramble in the second quarter, far exceeding the 99 rushing yards he had through the first eight games of the season. His 164 yards on the ground were the most by a true freshman quarterback from a Power Conference since Nov. 16, 2019, when Mississippi’s John Rhys Plumlee ran for 212, and he fell just six yards shy of tying the program record for rushing yards by a quarterback of 170 set by Perry Hills in 2015.

Washington continues to develop as a passer. His 98 passing yards (on a 15 of 28 passing day) marked a career low, he badly overthrew senior wide receiver Octavian Smith Jr. on a pass that resulted in an interception by senior safety Jett Elad near the end of the second quarter, and he put too much mustard on a swing pass to redshirt freshman running back DeJuan Williams (St. Frances) that would have converted a fourth down in Scarlet Knights territory in the third quarter.

“There were some plays we left out on the field,” Washington said of the passing attack. “Also, I wouldn’t say it was so much us being hindered, but the run game being able to work for us. We kind of stuck with it and being able to get the ball in the hands of the guys making plays, and the backs were doing that all night.”

Still, Washington looked like he stepped out of a phone booth and did his best to lift the offense.

Maryland refuses to quit — which is admirable or myopic

After the game, Locksley seemed more dour than he has been in his postgame news conferences this fall. But that should not signal that he has given up — at least publicly.

He spoke of playing for the chance to extend the season for the older members of the team by becoming eligible for a bowl. He didn’t back down from expectations raised by the team’s 4-0 start, and he said that he would continue to contend for his players because they continue to show up for him.

And he bristled at a question asking him to evaluate the team’s progress thus far.

“I’m not going to evaluate us right now,” he said. “I mean, I’m sorry. Maybe at the end of the season, I’ll have an end-of-season review for you. I’m playing for Illinois, I think it is next week. I’m not into the evaluation of us as a program with three games left to play. I’m here to tell you that I’m going to keep showing up with a positive attitude because this team deserves it.

“And I’m going to tell you that this team will play with pride the next three games. We’ll keep trying to build on some of the things we’re doing well and the things we aren’t, including getting some guys healthy. That’s been the main thought process. We’ll deal with the end of the season at the end of the season.”

Locksley’s sentiment was backed by Wingate and Washington, who cited passage John 1:5 during their session with the media.

“Right now, it’s dark. It’s really dark,” Washington said. “It might be black for a few folks. But all darkness is, is a place that light can shine. There’s still light at the end of the tunnel. We’re going to have to find a way there. We might be feeling our way through the darkness to find our way there, but we’re going to get there.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. 

Four days after beginning the campaign with a sound 22-point victory over Coppin State, the Terps’ positive vibes evaporated Friday night in a 70-60 setback to visiting Georgetown before an announced 16,594 at Xfinity Center in the resumption of an area rivalry that had been dormant for almost a decade.

Maryland dropped to 1-1 for the second time in the past three years. The team had been seeking a 2-0 start for the 11th time in the last 22 seasons and its 49th consecutive victory in a home opener and 24th straight win against an unranked, nonconference opponent.

The promise of a strong beginning under new coach Buzz Williams seemed attainable after the Terps had pulled away from the Eagles in the second half for an 83-61 win at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. Instead, they wasted a prime opportunity to defeat the Hoyas.

Georgetown scored the game’s first 11 points and led wire-to-wire to forge its first victory in the series since a 75-48 throttling on Nov. 30, 2008. Junior point guard Malik Mack led the team with 19 points and added six rebounds and two steals.

Junior shooting guard KJ Lewis, an Arizona transfer, racked up 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while sophomore small forward Caleb Williams compiled 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Williams credited the Hoyas with being aggressive early.

“I thought they were physical from start to finish,” he said. “We didn’t handle their physicality very well. Forty-two percent of our shots were in the charge circle, and we made 33% of them. So we have to finish at a higher rate regardless of the shot, but particularly when you’re that close to the rim.”

Graduate student shooting guard David Coit noted that the Terps were outscored 21-2 in the first four minutes of each half.

“How we started both halves was bad,” he said. “I would say the environment got to us a little bit, not getting into our offense, getting good shots that we wanted. We made it tough for ourselves in the first half not rebounding, not really guarding the ball well, fouling them and getting them to the line. I would say a lot of things accumulated to that, but overall, it was on us, for sure.”

Redshirt junior point guard Myles Rice, an Indiana transfer, starred in his debut for Maryland. After missing the season opener because of an ankle injury, Rice came off the bench to pace the offense with 19 points and seven rebounds.

Senior power forward Pharrel Payne chipped in with 17 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Coit finished with 10 points.

But after sinking 10 3-pointers against Coppin State for a school-record mark in that department for a season opener, the Terps misfired on 17 of 21 long-distance attempts against the Hoyas, finishing at just 19% for the game.

From the field, the offense converted only 25% (13 of 52) for the game. That was the program’s lowest rate of efficiency at home since Jan. 10, 2007, when that squad shot 22.4% in a loss to Miami.

Hoyas coach Ed Cooley said that defense was a point of emphasis from the coaches to the players.

“I thought our physicality showed, I thought our stamina showed,” he said. “That’s how we were able to guard at such a high level for 40 minutes.”

Despite being roundly booed before the game, Georgetown struck early and often, scoring five points in the first 34 seconds and 11 in the first 2:07. Maryland went scoreless for 3:14 before Payne converted a pair of free throws.

The Terps tried to cut into the deficit, making 18 trips to the free-throw line and sinking 15 in the first half. But the deep-range prowess they displayed on Monday was nowhere to be seen as the players missed their first nine 3-point shots.

Graduate student shooting guard Coit’s 3-pointer ended Maryland’s dry spell with 3:32 left in the opening frame and trimmed the gap to 25-21. But the Hoyas responded by embarking on a 5-1 run and threatened to take a 32-24 advantage into halftime. But a 3-pointer by Rice with six seconds left narrowed the score to 32-27 at intermission.

After Georgetown whiffed on all eight 3-point attempts in the first half, Mack dropped back-to-back long-distance shots in a 24-second span to start the second half. Mack’s bombs ignited an 18-3 run that compelled a good number of Terps fans to make their way out of the arena.

When Lewis drained two free throws near the midpoint of the second half, the Hoyas owned a 50-30 advantage that seemed insurmountable.

Maryland did chip away at Georgetown’s cushion, employing an 11-5 spurt to draw within 61-54 with about four minutes to go in regulation. But Mack’s third 3-pointer of the game helped the Hoyas keep the Terps at bay long enough to emerge triumphant.

The game also included the return of junior shooting guard DeShawn Harris-Smith, who averaged 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in two seasons at Maryland. He finished with three points, one rebound and one technical foul while being booed lustily by Terps fans every time he touched the ball.

Friday’s meeting was the first between Maryland and Georgetown since Nov. 15, 2016. The win ended a two-game losing streak in the series for the Hoyas (2-0), who are undefeated against Maryland-based teams after disposing of Morgan State, 87-70, on Monday.

Friday’s game is also the first of a four-game series between the two schools with next year’s game set to take place at Capital One Arena in Washington. Cooley, who had arranged for the rivalry’s return with Williams’ predecessor, Kevin Willard, applauded the programs’ willingness to play each other.

“We think it’s really good for our region, we think it’s good for our recruiting, we think it’s great for television,” he said. “I felt the energy the last two days building up to the game.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. 

Maryland football flaunted an announced sellout crowd, its second of the season. It should have been a display of the impressive job athletic director Jim Smith has done in the early months of his tenure to highlight a successful homecoming weekend. But by the second quarter of a 55-10 loss to Indiana, many in that sea of red that Smith reeled in were chanting for the school — for Smith — to fire the football coach.

Terps’ student section with “Fire Locksley” chants as the first half comes to a close.

Maryland trails No. 2 Indiana, 20-3. pic.twitter.com/85Lme8Lo8K

— Ben Geffner (@BenGeffner) November 1, 2025

Michael Locksley heard them, he said Tuesday. It actually made him smile.

“I would have probably chanted it, too, if I had a few beers and we played the way we played,” the coach said. “I’d like to follow those guys to their jobs that scream ‘Fire Locksley,’ put a camera on them, watch them do their work, and see how motivated they are to do theirs.”

Was it the entire crowd? No. Was it even a majority? Probably not. But that it happened is jarring. Maryland football fans, historically a group synonymous with apathy and comfortable with mediocrity, have rarely, if ever, made their voices heard as loudly as they did Saturday. Even if it was just a handful of rowdy students, they’re growing restless.

There’s perhaps no better contrast of the jobs Smith and Locksley have done recently than that image. Smith, creative and innovative, has done all he can to reimagine the game day experience in College Park, and fans have responded accordingly. Locksley, whose team has lost four straight games and gets worse every week, is the source of ire among many of those same fans who pack SECU Stadium despite their displeasure.

It’s now obvious that Maryland, more specifically Smith, is at a crossroads.

A decision looms for the first-year athletic director, whose approval rating is at an all-time high as he shows face at Saturday tailgates and hasn’t been asked to do anything that might draw criticism. That’ll change soon, when he must examine this offseason whether Locksley deserves more time or if a fresh start is required.

What Smith does with Locksley will be his first test as athletic director. He’s under pressure to make a move. It’ll be the first decision (or lack of one) we can judge him on, his first choice that has real stakes.

That examination is probably already happening. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to suggest that Locksley is coaching for his job over these final four weeks of the season. Finishing with eight consecutive losses would make it impossible for Smith to sell the fan base on the promise of next year. Conversely, wins against Rutgers (4-5) and Michigan State (3-6) would allow Smith to point to an improved record (and bowl eligibility) with a youthful team. Locksley on Tuesday said that five wins and two conference victories would mark “progress.”

He can get there Saturday in New Jersey against a team Maryland has historically dominated — the Terps have won seven of the past 10 matchups against Rutgers but are coming off a 31-17 defeat last year. The season finale against the lowly Spartans will provide Locksley a final opportunity to show his boss he deserves to keep his job.

What would firing Locksley this offseason look like? First, he’d be owed a sizable buyout. Not on the level of what LSU, Penn State or Florida will pay their departed coaches, but one that could give Smith pause, although he told The Baltimore Sun last month that would not be a factor in his decision. Next, Maryland would be competing for candidates with what will likely end up being more than a dozen power conference openings. Eight Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 teams have already fired coaches, with more surely to come. Lastly, the Terps would like to hold onto quarterback Malik Washington, his talented classmates and top incoming recruit Zion Elee. If Locksley’s gone, they could be, too, and with them goes the comfortable stability the veteran coach provides.

That’s all part of the calculus. So, too, is the damage that keeping Locksley could bring. Is being stuck in Big Ten purgatory — good enough to beat up on basement dwellers but never coming close to knocking off a top dog — what Smith wants from his football program? He said he will demand the opposite, actually. But that’s all Locksley’s been for seven years with zero signs of improving, no matter how many postgame news conferences he promises to “get it fixed.” An apathetic fan base for the school’s most profitable team is bad business.

This is all Smith’s job to weigh.

Key stakeholders around the program are increasingly anti-Locksley as the losses pile up. Last month, The Sun spoke to five longtime donors who all said, in their own words: I still support Locksley, but there’s a growing number of my peers who don’t (of course, they wouldn’t say that to a reporter if they truly believed in the coach, they’d instead dismiss the question). “Some of them want changes,” prominent booster Tom McCausland said. A mix of fans, alumni and former players, less influential but still important, have also told The Sun in recent weeks that they’re beginning to question if Locksley is capable.

Maintaining booster support is critical. Locksley needs their money. Spiraling further could make them cautious of investing in a coach they deem unworthy of their checks. That would give Smith no choice but to make a move. He’s not there yet.

“I know what’s going on inside the building,” Locksley said Tuesday. “The supporters and people that really know us get a really good understanding. We’ve got a pretty solid foundation to build on.”

Locksley seems to have a grasp on things internally. But Smith knows where the outside stands. The longer he does nothing, the louder those “fire Locksley” chants will get.

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.

Indiana transfer Yarden Garzon had 12 points for the Terps (2-0), who got scoring from 12 players. Saylor Poffenbarger added 11 points.

Jade Tillman led the Retrievers (1-1) with 17 points.

Maryland remained without injured guards Kaylene Smikle (leg) and Bri McDaniel (knee), returnees who have yet to play this season. Graduate guard Mir McLean, another holdover from last year’s Sweet 16 team, departed in the third quarter while holding her left shoulder and did not return.

UMBC never led, but was pesky for much of the first half. Kennedy Austin banked in a 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to get the Retrievers within 21-14, and she then beat the halftime buzzer with another 3 to make it 40-28.

The Terps scored the first 14 points of the third quarter, a run capped with 3-pointers by Poffenbarger and Okananwa. Maryland led 67-38 at the end of the third.

Okananwa, a Duke transfer, also had six rebounds, three assists and two steals. She scored a team-high 18 points in Monday’s 80-26 drubbing of Loyola.

Maryland used its size advantage to outscore the Retrievers 42-22 in the paint. The Terps held a 40-19 rebounding edge, though it was just 16-11 in the first half.

The Terps scored 23 points off 21 UMBC turnovers.

Freshman guard Lea Bartelme had seven assists for Maryland.

The Terps improved to 14-0 all-time against UMBC.

Up next

UMBC: Visits Virginia on Nov. 13.

Maryland: Hosts Georgetown on Sunday.

Here are the results from our online poll:

• Yes — 50.5% (100 votes)
• No — 49.5% (98 votes)

Here’s what some fans said about the Terps’ NCAA Tournament aspirations (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar):

They didn’t look too bad for a team playing together for the first time. Displayed a lot of energy. They’ll struggle but they’ll also improve. Buzz is a good coach so I’m going to be patient. — Brian Thomas

I like the way they play. They will have to get lucky in a few, but that’s because they have no size. They will get better the more they play together. — Thomas Trachy

Yes, we will win 20 games and be 500 or better in the league for an invite to the dance. — Doug Magnum

No, the Terps do not have enough quickness on perimeter. — Mike Capizzi

Nope. The team is not built for Big Ten play. — Brad Dier

I am hopeful, if they continue to play decent basketball. — Karen Webster

No, they had a hard time with Coppin State. They could have lost! — Nic Smith

Heck yeah! They have a lot of good young men as players, and they have a real coach now. — Mark Lipscomb

It’s ridiculous to even think about the NCAA Tournament. The season has just begun! — James Kinnett

The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll