The Maryland Terrapins have fired Mike Locksley. Now they’re searching for a new head football coach to lead the program forward. Locksley’s departure creates an opportunity for Maryland to bring in a fresh voice and build a team capable of competing more consistently in the Big Ten.
The next coach will need to improve recruiting, develop young talent, and find ways to compete against some of the nation’s top programs. Maryland has the potential to attract candidates with experience building successful teams and recruiting talented players from across the country. With the coaching position now open, several names could emerge as potential replacements.
Here are three coaches Maryland could target to replace Locksley and lead the Terrapins into a new era.
Coaches Who Could Replace Mike Locksley
1. Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly can be a good option for Maryland. Kelly got fired last season by LSU, and now he works as a broadcast analyst for CBS Sports. He would be a good candidate for Maryland to go after.
This would be a good place for Kelly to bring his talent. Kelly was replaced by Lane Kiffin last season. Kelly has a lot of good things about him as a coach. First, he almost always had eight or more wins, and he was good at bringing talent to the program. If he could do that for Maryland, he could make them a powerhouse team and competitive for bowl games, as Maryland has not made it to a bowl game in three years.
They could definitely pay him a contract that he wants; he was getting paid a $95 million contract at LSU, so they could definitely match that. However, the question is, does Kelly want to return to coaching?
2. Lance Taylor – Western Michigan
After leading Western Michigan to a MAC Championship last season and barely losing to the Michigan Wolverines, we found out that Lance Taylor is a great coach and deserves more respect.
Taylor could be a good candidate for Maryland because of his offensive background and experience developing players at several major college football programs. His experience working with running backs and wide receivers could help the Terrapins build a more balanced offense and get more production from their playmakers.
Taylor could also bring new ideas to Maryland’s offensive system and help improve the team’s consistency in the Big Ten. If Maryland wants a coach who can develop young talent and build an offense capable of competing against stronger opponents, Taylor could be an option worth considering.
Taylor is definitely a coach who can lead Maryland to many things and succeed.
3. Manny Diaz – Duke
Manny Diaz became the head coach of Duke in 2023. Before, he was the defensive coordinator for Penn State. In his first two seasons with Duke, he led them to 9+ wins and an ACC championship in 2025.
His defensive coaching experience at several major college programs could make him an interesting candidate for Maryland if the Terrapins consider making a change.
If Maryland wants to take a risk on a coach, Diaz definitely should be the one to go after.
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