Maryland’s football program reached a breaking point this week when it parted ways with longtime head coach Mike Locksley after five straight defeats. The Terrapins sit winless in Big Ten play and need a fresh direction in College Park. Former LSU coach Brian Kelly is among the names already being floated, and Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert has drawn strong early momentum. Now, one successful ACC coach’s name has also been added to the list.

While discussing the subject of Maryland’s next head coach, John Talty, the CBS Sports national college sports reporter, emphasized that Maryland should ascertain who actually wants to be in College Park, and who would treat the job as leverage until something better comes along. The perfect example that came to his mind was Duke’s Manny Diaz, adding him to the long list of potential candidates.

“I’ll use Manny Diaz as an example. I think Manny is doing a great job at Duke,” Talty began on CFB Insiders. “He is never going to be the number one there because of basketball and the resources given there, but he has done more with less… Could he be interested? I think it’s a long shot. But maybe he listens [and] takes the call and sees how much you’re offering and what you can offer down the line.”

Talty believes even if Diaz somehow considers Maryland as a possibility, he would be falling in the latter category of candidates. If a job like Florida State opened, Talty suggested, Diaz would not choose Maryland. It’s essential for Maryland to ascertain which candidates are actually serious, considering they are the only ones with an available head coach job in the market.

Also, Diaz has little reason to leave. He led Duke to consecutive nine-win seasons and the program’s first outright ACC championship since 1962 in 2025, beating Virginia in overtime before adding a Sun Bowl victory. Duke entered the weekend at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in ACC play as of October 23, even after quarterback Darian Mensah left through the transfer portal.

The Blue Devils started 4-0 before losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina, showing Diaz is still running a competitive program rather than looking for an immediate way out.

Additionally, Duke extended Diaz’s contract in April 2026 through the 2031 season with an annual salary between $4 million and $4.3 million. So even if Diaz becomes interested, Maryland would likely need a substantial financial commitment to bring him on board. So he’s indeed a long shot, but who isn’t is Brian Kelly.

Kelley’s name has surfaced prominently in early talk about the Maryland vacancy. The former Notre Dame and LSU head coach is now a CBS analyst and has expressed interest in returning to coaching earlier in March. His impressive resume and immediate availability with no buyout owed to a current school create obvious appeal.

Dickert of Wake Forest has drawn even stronger early momentum in the reporting. He has built programs at resource-limited stops, including Washington State and now Wake Forest. Charles Huff, Jason Eck, and Indiana coordinators Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan are among other names worth watching. 

The school parted ways on October 21, just a few days after a 37-30 home loss to Rutgers on October 17. That defeat dropped Maryland to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the conference. Locksley leaves the program after eight seasons with a 39-54 record, which included three consecutive bowl victories from 2021-2023. 

The record shows why a different path is necessary for the program. Maryland went 10-21 from the start of 2024 through the 2026 season so far, with a long Big Ten losing streak. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim has taken over as interim coach. Meanwhile, Locksley remains at peace with the decision and noted that he had helped stabilize the program and lead it to three bowl wins.

For now, Kelly is the more realistic available name, though questions remain about his long-term commitment, and Dickert has the stronger early momentum. Diaz remains an ideal football fit but is a long shot because of his current contract and stability at Duke.