Maryland coach Mike Locksley said he's not coaching for his job despite the team's five consecutive Big Ten losses and continued struggles in league games and late in the season.
Locksley told reporters Tuesday that he deserves to keep his job, saying, "I'm the head coach at the University of Maryland." After a 4-0 start, Maryland sits at 4-5 entering Saturday's game at Illinois.
The Terrapins are just 17-45 in Big Ten games under Locksley, who has won 18 consecutive nonleague games at the school. Locksley is 37-46 overall at Maryland and is under contract through the 2027 season. His buyout if fired this year would be $13.4 million.
First-year athletic director Jim Smith, when asked by The Baltimore Sun whether Locksley would return in 2026, told the newspaper that his status would be determined at the end of the year. Smith did not hire Locksley and took over as athletic director in May after serving as Atlanta Braves senior vice president of business strategy.
After Illinois, Maryland finishes the regular season against No. 21 Michigan and Michigan State.
