Can’t Wait For Saturday | Friendly schedule gives Maryland, Locksley good chance for turnaround season | Newsletter

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Greetings from “Can’t Wait For Saturday,” your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He’ll give you his views each day on the game he loves.

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The second time as a head coach hasn’t been perfect for Mike Locksley. But it so much better than the first.

After helping Illinois football to the Rose Bowl in 2008 and another solid offensive season the next, Locksley left the comfort of Ron Zook’s staff for the long shot that was New Mexico football. It did not go well, Locksley finishing 1-11 his first two seasons then getting fired after starting 0-4 in the third.

In hindsight, he should have waited for a better offer. Had he stayed at Illinois longer, who knows what would have happened for him and Zook.

Locksley rebuilt his brand by spending seven seasons (initially) at Maryland as coordinator and later interim head coach.

Then, he worked three seasons for Nick Saban at Alabaaa, which was always a good idea.

Maryland was impressed with his work and brought him back home as head coach in 2019.

No surprise, the first two seasons were a challenge, with a 3-9 first year followed by a 2-3 second season (stupid COVID). But like when he was at Illinois, the third year was a charm. In 2021, the Terrapins finished 7-6, including a win in the Pinstripe Bowl. That was followed by three more winning seasons, including eight victories each in ’22 and ’23.

But Maryland slipped in 2024, finishing 4-8. of the losses were lopsided. Because he built all that good will during a successful four-year run, Locksley’s tenure is not in doubt. Though it might be a good idea to…

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Publish date : 2025-03-31 14:48:00

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