Five coaching candidates Maryland should consider after firing Mike Locksley

Let the search begin.

On Wednesday, the Maryland Terrapins fired eight-year head coach Mike Locksley after a rough 2-5 start to the 2026 season, creating the first power conference opening of the 2026-27 cycle.

Below are five names that should be on Maryland's radar as it starts looking for its next coach.

New Mexico Lobos head coach Jason Eck

A Big Ten native having grown up and in La Crosse, WI and attending Wisconsin from 1995-98, Eck should get a serious look after a productive start to his coaching career.

Initially hired by FCS Idaho in December 2021, he led the Vandals to a 26-13 record overall and three playoff appearances before being hired by New Mexico in November 2024. 

He took over a Lobos program that won five games season before his arrival and produced an immediate turnaround, going 9-4 last season.

Through six games in 2026, New Mexico (5-1) has the top-scoring defense in FBS, allowing 10.3 points per game. With its only loss a 14-6 defeat at Oklahoma, a path to the CFP as the best Group of Six team exists, which may complicate the onboarding process. But considering what he's done so far, Eck might be worth the wait.

Indiana Hoosiers defensive coordinator Bryant Haines

Somehow overlooked over the past two cycles, Haines should be one of the top candidates this offseason for a promotion from assistant to head coach. 

Hired after Curt Cignetti formally became head coach in November 2023, Haines has had an enormous hand in Indiana's rise from irrelevancy to national power. Since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Hoosiers rank second in scoring defense (13.3 points per game), second only to the Ohio State Buckeyes (11.6 points per game) among the autonomy conferences' members. During that same span, Maryland has the second-worst scoring defense in the Big Ten, ahead of only the Purdue Boilermakers while allowing 29.5 points per game.

Toledo Rockets head coach Mike Jacobs

In the words of Cignetti, do a Google search of Jacobs and you'll find a winner.

In 10 seasons as a head coach — both in Division II and Division I — Jacobs is 94-23. His .803 win percentage entering 2026 was fifth-highest among active coaches on either level, slightly ahead of Cignetti's .794 (143-37), per Toledo's official website.

Jacobs most recently led FCS Mercer to consecutive Southern Conference titles in 2024 and 2025 before taking over for departing Toledo coach Jason Candle in December 2025. This season, the Rockets are 5-2 and in the mix for a MAC championship ahead of a pivotal Week 8 showdown against Western Michigan (5-2, 3-0 in MAC).

Former LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly

Maryland is a step down from LSU and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Kelly's previous two stops, but after spending the 2026 season calling mid-major games as part of the CBS B-team, Kelly has no business declining any power conference opening.

As USA Today noted, Kelly has a slight connection to Maryland through university booster and Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, whose company sponsored Notre Dame during Kelly's tenure beginning in 2014. 

And while his run down in the bayou at LSU ended on a sour note, it started with promise. In his first season, he led the Tigers to a win over rival Alabama en route to the program's last SEC title game appearance. The following season, quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy. While not enough to save his job in a highly pressurized environment, those kind of results at Maryland would give Kelly the role for life.

Oregon State Beavers head coach JaMarcus Shephard

Try not to throw your reading device across the room, Oregon State fans.

Three years ago, former coach Jonathan Smith had the Beavers trending upward only to leave for Michigan State at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season.

Based on Shephard's early returns in Corvallis, Oregon State is going to have fend off suitors to retain him beyond 2026.

Inheriting a two-win team, Shephard has been among the country's most impressive coaches, turning the Beavers into one of the Group of Six's best teams. Quarterback Braden Atkinson, previously with Mercer, leads a high-flying offense that is averaging 42.7 points per game, the fourth-most in FBS. He's completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,604 yards (372 yards per game), 24 touchdowns and two interceptions. 

True freshman wideout Jesse Legree is somehow having an even better statistical season than Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, leading the country with 1,040 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 22.6 yards per catch.

In short order, Shephard has proven adept at identifying and developing talent. It feels inevitable that one day soon, power conference programs will come knocking.