Maryland parted ways with football coach Mike Locksley on Wednesday. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, a Maryland alumnus and die-hard Terps fan, reacted to the news on his most recent podcast.
“Well, not a shock,” Van Pelt said on the “SVPod.”
The Terps went 4-8 in each of the past two seasons and started this year 2-5. They went 12 straight Big Ten games without a win before Locksley’s dismissal.
“The record is the record, man,” Van Pelt said. “You’ve got to win football games.”
Van Pelt praised Locksley as a person, crediting his community connections. Locksley inherited Maryland’s program after the death of Jordan McNair, who died after suffering heatstroke during a team workout.
Locksley helped restore the program’s off-field image in the community, and he won three consecutive bowl games from 2021 through 2023 to bolster the on-field perception.
“Maryland people will always be indebted to Locks for taking over when he took over,” Van Pelt said. “It was a period of real turmoil, and he’s been a well-regarded guy in this area for a long, long time.”
Unfortunately for Maryland fans, the results soured over the past two years. Athletic director Jim Smith decided earlier this week to make a move at the position.
Van Pelt has no issue with the timing, even though some fans wanted the firing earlier in the season.
“There’s no good time to do it necessarily because your fanbase just wants everyone fired,” Van Pelt said. “Living here, everyone that roots for Maryland wanted this, and everyone that roots for Washington wants [Commanders coach Dan] Quinn gone. But the world’s not the internet.”
The ESPN personality says he trusts Smith’s judgment in finding a replacement.
He also expects Locksley to bounce back in the industry. The coach told ESPN he’d be open to taking coordinator roles in the future.
“That’s a guy that will land on his feet in the game,” Van Pelt said. “People within the Jets said it. They said the most impressive interview they had when their job was open was Mike Locksley.”
As for Maryland’s future after Locksley, Van Pelt says fans shouldn’t expect national title results, given the program’s resources compared with Big Ten peers. But it’s fair to expect more than losing to Rutgers and dropping 12 straight conference games. Van Pelt says the Terps have enough resources to be competitive.
“They’re not Ohio State and at the top of the food chain, but they’re not at the bottom either,” Van Pelt said.
Have a news tip? Contact Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.
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