Ahead of a division-less Big Ten and 12-team playoff in 2024, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley knows his program adjusted to the long-awaited changes set to shake up college football. “I keep talking about this expanded room and it can wear a lot of different coats. It can be adding new teams to a conference, making the room better and different. I just think whenever you have diversity, it adds an opportunity of being able to challenge status quo and, you know, with the playoffs, the new teams coming in, it gives you an opportunity to think differently outside the box,” Locksley told reporters at Big Ten Media Days. From a staff perspective, Maryland worked to get ahead of the curve after rolling out their general manager position in 2021, a role that’s since become widespread across the industry. “I hear this landscape we're talking about general managers, salary caps. I mean, college football is becoming more NFL-ish. Well, we anticipated that.” “I brought Brian Griffin from St. John’s College High School, also spent two years with the Atlanta Falcons. And we put in an NFL system for evaluation for how we go get players and identify players. And then we've got Merci Falaise leading up the charges. Our GM, we anticipated this landscape. And that's the one thing when you expand the room and you bring diversity into it. I've had to navigate trying to figure out how to get to be a head coach again. Because of my experience doing that, when you get the NIL thrown at you, you get the pandemic thrown at you, you get expanded playoffs thrown at you, you just always think ahead. Because of how I was raised, the change doesn't frustrate me.” One year after noting the program is ready to compete for Big Ten championships, head coach Mike Locksley noted that Maryland football is approaching 2024 as “here to challenge status quo.” “It’s an opportunity for places like Maryland to break down that status quo, that the top of our league has to be the same three or four teams.” Thursday’s message is a continuation of the program’s steady growth under Locksley heading into his sixth season as head coach, but it’s a message he’s not shy about anymore. “There was a time as a coach where I was a little scared to dream big and I want my players to hear me talk about this. It’s something to stand up here in front of you guys and tell you that we want to compete for a Big Ten championship. And by doing so, that allows you to hopefully compete for a national championship. And then you’ll be ridiculed. You’ll say you only won eight games. You don’t win big games. And you know what? For a long time, I used to be worried about that. And as I like to say, my ‘give a crap’ gauge is on E and I want my players to understand – I want them to dream big.” Locksley later explained that his ‘give a crap’ gauge went to empty, “when my son died, from the time my son was murdered. I tell people that's where my ‘give a crap’ gauge went to ‘E’ because it showed me tomorrow is not a promise to us.” “I always envisioned walking my son, being at my son's wedding, seeing him have kids of his own and you get a knock at the door and it's over,” Locksley added. “And from that point on, if you come in my office, I have hourglasses all over my office to remind me of the importance of how valuable time is. And so if you live life knowing that tomorrow a promise, what's wrong with taking a chance telling your kids I want to be the first black head coach to win a national championship in college football and not care that you guys are gonna have headlines?” “Well, yeah, I still stand on that. And I want my players to feel the same way because if I took that approach, I wouldn't be the head coach in Maryland again. I would have gotten fired at New Mexico and been an assistant for the rest of my career. But I dream big and I'm here where I want to be.” Related Links Mike Locksley on facing Michigan State, commitment to run game in 2024Maryland football players react to EA Sports College Football 25Head coach Mike Locksley previews 2024 season for Maryland footballFastest player on the team + quick hitters from B1G Media Days2024 Maryland football position preview: WRs & TEs
top of page
bottom of page