Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on being named interim head coach, changes for Maryland football
Everything that interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim said during his first press conference since the coaching transition:
Opening Statement
"I want to start by just I just want to thank Coach Locksley. He's been a personal friend of mine for probably over 20 years. He served as a mentor, and he has a lot to do with why I wanted to be a college coach. He's been an ambassador to the University of Maryland, which I think is huge. He's actually had three different stints here, two as an assistant and one as a head coach. And I just think the world of him and we appreciate him for all of his efforts. I think the last thing is that he brought me back home. I was at Boston College four years ago, and he gave me a call, and I felt like I was going to just run down here. I am a D.C. native and proud of it, so it means a little bit more to me to be standing in front of you as the interim head coach [of] University of Maryland.
Jim and Diana have just been awesome. They've been with me shoulder to shoulder in all aspects, and I really appreciate that. And I really appreciate that, Jim and Diana in the back. I don't see myself as just an interim. I see myself as someone who is a program builder and that's going to allow this program to take the next steps. Our main focus has been truly to wrapping our arms around these young men. And because it didn't just really start a week ago. They've heard rumblings. They deal with so much outside entities, man, that sometimes give them information that they may not need. And so I'm really excited to really move on to the next steps, the next season, which we're calling this is a this is a five game season for us. And as far as I'm concerned, we're 0-0 right now. And the kids are excited to show you guys a different a different or better blend of football.
This bye week has come at a great time for us because we were able to reset. We were able to really get back and really evaluate things we did well, the things that we may need to improve. Some of the adjustments is obviously the practice schedule is different. We welcome you guys to come to practice the first 15, 20 minutes. Condensed is probably a keyword that we use. So a condensed package on offense, a condensed package on defense and special teams. We want guys to play fast. We don't want them to think about certain things. And probably the biggest thing is just to fall in love with football. These guys, we got NIL, we got so many different things that these guys have to think about. These young men have to think about, but we want to get back to the basics, and that's the love of the game. So we definitely want you guys to see a different a different side of our young men. But it starts with just the love of football."
On the conversations going from co-DC to interim head coach
"That was a good question. It was a whirlwind because being a defensive coordinator and being a head coach is two different worlds. So I started the week last week trying to condense our gameplan and really refining what we're doing on defense to be able to put a better product out. But obviously, things change, and that's life. You pivot. Super grateful for the opportunity at the end of the day. One thing I will say is, it's not me by myself. Like like Jim didn't just drop me off down the street and and say, man, get it. They're with me every day. They're with me every day in the morning. I definitely appreciate that because you know I have a lot to learn."
On what success looks like under AAR
"I think it's it's more about a process right now. We're gonna keep the main thing the main thing right now. It's not about wins and losses, and honestly, all of our mind, our mind, body, and soul is is is about Illinois right now. Now, as far as things that we need to improve, or you could say my three bullets is number one is mental toughness. We got to we have to increase our football IQ. We have to really work on our pre-snap approach, and urgency. The second thing is technique. And what I mean by the technique is the detail. We have to get more detailed. And discipline is a part of technique. Last thing is effort. And these are the three things we preach every day. We try to keep the message pretty small, but effort is important, all right. And effort is how hard can you strain. And probably the biggest component of effort is doing it for someone else. We have to create a deeper brotherhood,and that's really our focus for the rest of the year, is creating a family environment where guys want success for the team. They want the success for the team more than they want success for themselves."
On limiting distractions over last five games of 2026 season
"I'm fortunate where I'm process driven. That's really all I know. And I've been fortunate to be around some successful college coaches, like Nick Saban, where it was it's been beating my brain that I'm not about outcomes. I'm literally about the process right now. And my process right now is after this press conference is to get the best Tuesday out of these young men. So I'm not really worried about anything but this Tuesday and then Wednesday, you can ask me the same thing, and it'll be about the Wednesday. And then again, we need all our focus on Illinois."
Building the brotherhood over the last five games
"That's another good question, and the reality is it's about right now. It's about obviously meaningful relationships. I'm an old high school coach, so meaningful relationships mean something to me. Sometimes that is the biggest motivating factor. It's love and creating that brotherhood. Can't speak about four games from now, and again, it's just really not in my wheelhouse. I'm really truly focused on Illinois and getting the best version of University of Maryland football to the Illinois game."
On Clint Trickett's responsibilities with Mike Locksley gone, AAR's involvement in offense
"Obviously my expertise is on the defensive side, but no, I'm heavily involved on the offensive side of just from a big picture standpoint. I think you have to play with forms of complementary football. So I think me as more of a defensive emphasis interacting on the offensive side of the ball, they understand the big picture a little bit, as opposed to just running plays. We're going to be a lot more situational driven and I think I can help Clint and the other offensive coaches with just understanding on the minus side what what a second and ten is, and the difference between the plus side. And obviously, they know that, but we're going to be a little bit more intentional in practice with situations where we can kind of talk through those processes as a group. Clint is still going to be the play caller. I think he does a great job. I think he has a very innovative mind. Again, I'm just here to support him, and that goes for all coaches. I think our whole staff. I think he has a really good staff. Again, if we push all in the same direction, I think we'll have some success."
On the trenches
"As the head coach, I think I have to. I think the big thing for me the first week was was getting to know these young men on that side. The corner coach don't really talk to the offensive line too much, so it was more about me meeting, meeting with them. Like the last two days, I met with pretty much you know all the starters and most of the backups of the offensive line just to see where they are and see what they like to do, see what type of scheme or how they see themselves I think that's important. But obviously I've met with every coach and I think it's a lot of phases you know that we have to improve on, so obviously running the ball is one of them and it's been a point of emphasis. Probably more important than that is is identity and that's what we talked about. What we talked about a lot is what are we hanging our hat on on offense? It's a lot of great plays, but when it's time to make a play, when it's time, when it's third and one and the game on the line, what are we calling? And everybody on that offensive side of the ball should know what we're calling because it should be something that you repped, 20, 30 times that week. So again, I think condensing is important and having a singleness of purpose of during critical situations that they already know what we're going to call. So it's like riding a bike when they're trying to execute."
On the identity of an AAR-led team
"It's more about the mental toughness piece. And again, I'm gonna be pretty redundant -- mental toughness, technique, and effort. I think that encompasses a play. The mental toughness is more of the pre. My intent, my bend, essentially my approach and obviously technique is the detail. Your eyes. Where are you putting your eyes? What's your footwork? Of us clearly giving the standard of what that is, and then it's about the finish. And I think if you keep the main thing, the main thing, and reduce the game to technique and effort, we'll have -- because we got enough scheme. Every every coach in college football has enough scheme, but reducing the game to technique and effort will allow us to be a little bit more successful,"
What AAR has changed
"I'm gonna say first and foremost that just logistically, I wanted to get get guys off the field a little faster. I feel like we may have been on the field, especially as you get through the season, you gotta you gotta adjust how long you're on the field and and I think that helped coaches be more be more intentional in what they rep in practice. So that was the first why of why I did it. And then again I wanted to condense the amount of calls. So I want you know on base down calls I didn't want multiple eight to 10 base down calls on defense or offense. Why don't we just be really good at five or six? So condensing I think is important. Plus it allows you in practice to rep that call a lot of times with a lot of different scenarios. So some people call them one-offs. You don't really want a lot of one-offs on the offensive side of the ball. And again, I make a point. The first questions I ask are, "do you love football?" and "how bad do you want to win?" And those are really the only two questions that I ask these young men right now because the answers, if you're really true to it, it's going to be in your process and your preparation, and I really truly believe that if we can reduce the game to essentially loving football and a burning desire to win, I think we'll have we'll have a good chance."
On the impact of being a Muslim head coach
"I've been a Muslim my entire life, so it's really all I know, and I'm appreciative. Just it allows me to be a little bit consistent, very appreciative, and I think -- I don't like to mix, you know how they say politics and religion. I don't like to mix football and religion, but I'm proud of who I am and who my parents have raised."
What's different about DMV, bringing that intensity to the program
"I'm a proud District Washingtonian, been here, born and raised, grew up in Northeast D.C. Dunbar High School, and then I started a program called Friendship Collegiate Academy as a high school head coach. So I've been in this area a long time. I feel like I understand the fabric of this area and I've watched it become a superpower. And and it's no doubt in my mind the best players in the area can play anywhere in the country. And it's our duty, it's our job to continue to keep them home. I think we're doing a good job, but I think what people don't realize is like everyone comes here now. It used to be a time no one came in this area, but everyone comes here. So it's a battle each year in and year out. And so yes, I'm excited about the future. It's plenty of good players in this area that's come that are ninth graders, eighth graders, tenth and 11th. So we've already targeted a lot of them and that's the advantage that we do have, our relationships. We know a lot of youth coaches that that that that essentially help us recruit and we're very tied in with the high school coaches. So very excited about it, and yes, the best is yet to come."
Who AAR has leaned on in the locker room
"I think the kids in general have done a great job. They're very hungry. They're very hungry to win. They're very hungry to get things where they know we don't have a issue with as far as confidence, in my opinion. I think they understand that they can win games. We just had to tie up a lot of the loose ends. I think from a from a staff perspective, I think our staff does a great job of establishing meaningful relationships within their rooms, in which we needed obviously this this past week. We also have a great mental health department and Diana as well was was spearheading that where we were able to to touch these young men very fast, and because obviously, this is a traumatic. Coach Locks is a great recruiter, a great person who went in a lot of people's homes and built a meaningful relationship. We were able to combat a little bit of it with the relationships that we had on our team already. These guys are it's a reason why they're in here. Malik [Washington] and Sidney [Stewart] are two of the leaders of this team that we had to lean on. And one thing I'll say about both of them, I've met with them a few times, and obviously I recruited, helped recruit both of them to come here. But we have a great relationship where they understand what the job is at hand, and they've been 100% supportive. So I appreciate you guys.
On defensive changes ahead of Illinois
"I think it starts ahead with just accountability. Like we have to take a look in the mirror at ourselves and really see what we're doing, good, bad or indifferent. And we were able to do that in this bye week where we could sit down and do a lot of self scouting and see what we do well. We have really good players, and we need to put them probably in a better position to be successful. So that's kind of been our mission this past week and you should see some of the results of it in the game Saturday."
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