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Maryland coaching candidates: Jake Dickert, Billy Napier among possible options
CBS Sports • • general
Key Points:
- Maryland has fired head football coach Mike Locksley after a 39-54 record over seven-plus seasons, starting the 2026 season 2-5, and will owe him a $9.75 million buyout.
- This is the first Power Four coaching firing this season, marking a slower coaching carousel compared to last year, and will be the first major hire for Maryland's new athletic director Jim Smith.
- Potential candidates to replace Locksley include Wake Forest's Jake Dickert, Duke's Manny Diaz, New Mexico's Jason Eck, Indiana coordinators Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan, and Memphis' Charles Huff, among others.
- Other notable names mentioned are former Notre Dame and LSU coach Brian Kelly, UNLV's Dan Mullen, James Madison's Billy Napier, Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and Western Michigan's Lance Taylor.
- Maryland is currently the best Power Four coaching job available, with other openings possible in the future, such as Florida State.
