Sometimes, a coaching change is necessary. Sometimes, it’s a sign that a school has run out of patience. And sometimes, it leaves us wondering whether changing the person in charge will fix the problems that made the job so difficult in the first place.

Maryland and head coach Mike Locksley have mutually parted ways after a 2-5 start, including a five-game losing streak and no wins in Big Ten play. The decision came four days after a 37-30 loss to Rutgers. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will take over as interim coach.

On the surface, the decision isn’t difficult to understand. Locksley finished with a 38-49 record over eight seasons, and Maryland went just 16-47 in Big Ten play during his tenure. In college football, patience has its limits, especially when a team struggles to compete in its own conference. But I think there’s a little more to this story.

The Job Was Bigger Than Winning Games

Locksley arrived at Maryland after a deeply troubled period for the program. The death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair in 2018, following a conditioning drill, led to investigations into the university’s training practices and the culture surrounding the football team. Head coach D.J. Durkin was eventually fired.

Locksley was brought in to help lead the program forward. He did have some success. Maryland reached three consecutive bowl games and posted eight-win seasons in 2022 and 2023. Those accomplishments shouldn’t be dismissed simply because the results later deteriorated.

Still, the longer-term record tells its own story. Maryland struggled badly in Big Ten competition, and the program never established the consistency needed to compete regularly with its conference rivals. That raises a fair question: How much of the problem belonged to the coach, and how much reflected the challenges facing the program itself?

Maryland has lagged well behind its Big Ten peers in football ticket revenue, too. Money alone doesn’t determine success, but resources matter in a sport where recruiting, facilities, and support can make a real difference.

A Change Is Easier Than a Solution

Locksley is reportedly owed almost $10 million in buyout money. Maryland has made its decision, and now the school must find someone who can produce better results. There will be names to consider, and a new coach may bring fresh energy. But whoever takes the job will inherit many of the same structural challenges.

That’s the part worth watching. Firing a coach gives a program a clear moment of change. Building a consistently competitive team takes considerably longer. Maryland had reasons to move on from Locksley. The next question is whether the school can give his successor the resources and support needed to do what the program has struggled to accomplish.

Changing the coach is one decision. Changing the direction of a football program is another.

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