Maryland football has made a change to its coaching staff following the Terrapins' fifth consecutive loss of the season.
Terrapins coach Mike Locksley announced on Sunday, Oct. 18 that he has relieved defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino of their coaching duties.
"I appreciate Ted's hard work and dedication to our program during his time in College Park," Locksley said in a statement. "As I evaluate our program, I believe this change is necessary. We wish Ted all the best moving forward."
College football rankings after Week 7: Updated US LBM Coaches Poll, AP Top 25
Monachino was in his second season on Locksley's staff at Maryland, joining the staff last season after two years on Mack Brown's staff at North Carolina.
The Terrapins' defense has been one of the worst in the Big Ten, ranking last in the conference in scoring defense (33.3 points per game) and 14th in total defense (366.6 yards per game). Maryland gave up 37 points at home to Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 17, with 24 coming in the second half.
Over the course of its five-game losing skid, Maryland's defense has given up an average of 43.8 points to its opponents.
Locksley announced that co-defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will serve as primary defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. Inside linebackers coach Zac Spavital will take on the role of co-defensive coordinator.
Maryland heads into its Week 8 bye with a 2-5 overall record. The Terrapins host Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 31 at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland.
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maryland football makes coaching change, fires DC Ted Monachino