Big Ten Media Days: Maryland Head Coach Mike Locksley Admits to Losing Locker Room

Originally posted on College Football News
By Mathey Gibson | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 12:08 AM ET

At Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley didn’t sugarcoat the Terps’ disappointing 4-8 finish in 2024.

When asked what went wrong, he owned it completely.

“Coach Locks lost his locker room last season,” he said.

Maryland went just 1-8 in conference play, a freefall that caught even Locksley by surprise. He believed the roster was good enough to win.

Mike Locksley Speaks at Big Ten Media Days

But behind the scenes, he said, something more complicated was happening.

“For the first time, those really strong relationships [with players] were questioned,” Locksley said. “Because I had to decide whether to pay a freshman coming in or take care of a veteran player. [...] It was hard to do both.”

That dilemma, centered around NIL, exposed a fracture in the locker room that Locksley had never dealt with before.

Veteran players began to question the staff, and trust began to break down.

“I won’t lose my locker room this year,” Locksley said confidently.He credited Maryland’s new athletic director Jim Smith with providing support and resources that are helping to stabilize the program in 2025.

Revenue sharing, roster clarity, and transparency are at the core of the effort to rebuild.

Locksley admitted he’s not sure what this team will look like yet. But one thing he knows — the hard lessons from 2024 won’t go to waste.

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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