Mike Locksley’s departure from Maryland marks the end of an eight-year tenure and opens the door to a significant milestone in college football. The Terrapins fell to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play after losing to Rutgers last Saturday, intensifying speculation about Locksley’s future.
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With pressure mounting over the team’s struggles, Maryland and Locksley ultimately mutually agreed to part ways. He leaves with a 36-54 record during his tenure, as the program turns the page and looks toward a new era.
As the coaching landscape shifts, the new interim head coach of Maryland is set to make history in the FBS. The reins of the team are handed over to co-defensive coordinator and cornerback coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, who became the first active Muslim coach in college football.
Muslim coaches have served as assistant coaches or position coaches in Division I FBS programs over the years. For instance, Robert Saleh, who served as a defensive assistant at Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Georgia before becoming the NFL’s first Muslim head coach with the New York Jets in 2021. However, none have held the head coaching position at the FBS level.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Maryland held a meeting around 11:30 on October 21 and named the longtime assistant Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as the interim head coach. He has strong ties to the area and will be the head coach for the rest of the season.
The Terrapins are on a bye this week, which will give them some time to get acclimatized to the change in position. They will return to action next week against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Abdul-Rahim has a long coaching history. After finishing his playing career, Abdul-Rahim started the football program at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington. From 2004 to 2013, he mentored more than 100 players who went on to play for Division I college football programs. His success in high school opened the door for him at Alabama in 2014 after he was hired as an analyst. He worked under head coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.
Abdul-Rahim started as the defensive backs coach in 2016–17 and then as the cornerbacks coach in 2018 in Maryland. He left Maryland to join UMass to become their defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. It was a short stint, as he moved again to Boston in 2020 after a year. Abdul-Rahim served as associate head coach and defensive pass game coordinator at Boston for 2 seasons before returning to Maryland in 2024.
Before becoming a coach, Abdul-Rahim was a DB and began his college football career at Mesa Community College, where he played for one season. He then transferred to San Diego State and played for its football team for three seasons. After college, he played for three seasons with the San Diego Riptide, a professional team in the Arena Football League system.
He worked for 2 seasons under Locksley before his departure. The departure of former head coach Mike Locksley was announced by Maryland AD Jim Smith. But the change was long overdue, as they were on a 12-game losing streak in the Big 10.
“Following thoughtful conversations with Coach Locksley, we agreed that a coaching change was in the best interest of Coach Locksley and the Maryland football program,” Maryland athletic director Jim Smith said in a statement.
Locksley had some success at Maryland, but the team’s poor performance over the last few seasons overshadowed those achievements. Maryland had an 8-5 record in 2 consecutive seasons.
However, the joyride ended in 2024 as Maryland finished with a 4-8 record. It also went 1-8 in Big Ten conference games. The team again finished 4-8 overall and 1-8 in conference play in 2025. A 2-20 big 10 record had already put his position under scrutiny; now let’s see if Abdul-Rahim could turn the program around.