Lincoln Riley and Mike Norvell aren’t the only coaches whose jobs are hanging by a thread. Maryland’s Mike Locksley is right there with them, and his recent record gives the Terrapins little reason to keep defending him. But apparently, firing the head coach is where things get complicated. With a reported $9.2 million buyout hanging over Maryland, Locksley is keeping his job while defensive coordinator Ted Monachino takes the fall. So much for accountability starting at the top!

On October 19, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on X that Monachino had been relieved of his coaching duties. According to Thamel, the announcement came directly from Mike Locksley.

The Terrapins have been trapped in a massive downward spiral all autumn, and the final straw came on Sunday, October 18, 2026, when Maryland announced Monachino’s dismissal, just a day after another painful home defeat.

“I appreciate Ted’s hard work and dedication to our program during his time in College Park,” Locksley said in his official statement. “As I evaluate our program, I believe this change is necessary. We wish Ted all the best moving forward.”

With the program heading into a timely bye week, Locksley decided he couldn’t wait any longer, making a major staff change in a desperate bid to salvage what is quickly becoming a lost season!

The catalyst for Monachino’s dismissal was a spectacular second-half meltdown against Rutgers during Maryland’s Homecoming weekend.

The game actually started pretty well for the Terps, who took a comfortable 23-13 lead into halftime.

However, the second half was a horror show for the home crowd.

Rutgers took advantage, scoring 24 straight points to turn the game around and hand Maryland a brutal 37-30 loss at SECU Stadium.

And here’s what makes that defeat even more embarrassing. Rutgers entered the matchup with just one victory, yet Maryland still couldn’t protect a double-digit halftime advantage on its own Homecoming weekend.

Honestly, the defensive statistics attached to Monachino’s unit this year have been excruciatingly painful for fans to look at.

During Maryland’s current five-game losing streak, the defense has surrendered at least 35 points in every single game. Rutgers alone piled up 442 total yards against the Terrapins.

In total, the Terps have given up a staggering 219 points over their last five games alone, an average of 43.8 points allowed per game. According to CBS Sports, Maryland ranks 127th nationally in scoring defense, 83rd in total defense, 84th in pass defense, and 85th in rush defense across the FBS.

Locksley is now shifting responsibilities on his defensive staff to prepare for the final stretch of the schedule. Cornerbacks coach and associate head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will take over as defensive coordinator and handle play-calling responsibilities for the remaining five games.

Abdul-Rahim previously worked at Maryland under former head coach D.J. Durkin and is now being handed a much bigger responsibility during his second stint with the program.

Inside linebackers coach Zac Spavital is also stepping up as co-defensive coordinator, with Maryland hoping a fresh approach can finally address its defensive struggles.

Monachino, meanwhile, arrived from North Carolina with NFL coaching experience that included stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

While Monachino is the one packing his bags after less than two full seasons on staff, the bigger question is whether Maryland is actually fixing its problems or simply giving Locksley another opportunity to save his job.

Fired the wrong guy!

If anything, changing coordinators midseason could end up being nothing more than a temporary bandage on a bleeding program.

Locksley is currently in his eighth season leading Maryland, but his recent track record has put his long-term job security in serious jeopardy. The Terps are sitting at a miserable 2-5 overall record and are completely winless in conference play at 0-4 in the Big Ten.

Even worse, Maryland has now lost 12 consecutive Big Ten games dating back to last year, and the program holds an abysmal 2-20 record in conference matchups since the start of the 2024 season.

And this isn’t exactly a sudden collapse. Maryland finished both the 2024 and 2025 seasons with identical 4-8 records, a massive step backward after posting three consecutive winning seasons between 2021 and 2023.

According to CBS Sports, Locksley entered the 2026 campaign needing approximately seven victories to strengthen his chances of keeping the job heading into 2027. But with five losses already on the board, the Terrapins would now have to win every remaining regular-season game just to reach that mark.

To make matters worse, CBS Sports reported that Locksley hasn’t beaten a Power Four opponent in more than a calendar year. That’s hardly the kind of record Maryland expected from a head coach in his eighth season.

For the time being, Maryland’s athletic department is sticking with Locksley. CBS Sports reported that despite outside speculation about his dismissal entering the bye week, the university has taken a patient approach.

The financial implications cannot be ignored. According to USA TODAY’s reported contract figures, Maryland would owe Locksley approximately $9.2 million if it dismissed him without cause during the 2026 calendar year.

Locksley is earning approximately $6.4 million in 2026, and his contract runs through 2028. Under the reported agreement, Maryland must pay 65% of his remaining guaranteed compensation if it terminates him without cause.

Whether the buyout is influencing Maryland’s decision remains unclear. But the university now has to weigh the financial cost of replacing its head coach against the possibility of another disappointing season.

Firing his defensive coordinator gives Locksley the upcoming bye week to address the team’s massive holes before the Terrapins return to action.

However, if Maryland doesn’t show some serious signs of life when it hosts Illinois on Saturday, October 31, even a multimillion-dollar buyout might not be enough to silence the questions surrounding Locksley’s future.

And if the Terrapins continue struggling, Maryland may eventually have to confront a much more uncomfortable question: Was Monachino really the biggest problem, or was replacing him simply the easier decision?