Mike Locksley addresses fan frustration following Virginia Tech loss

29 minutes ago

2 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ob1OYWfLsg

Maryland’s 2024 season ended with losses in all but one of the final eight games, while the 2025 season ended on an eight game losing streak. Though Saturday’s 35-26 loss against Virginia Tech marked the program’s first non-conference loss since falling the 2019 week three road loss vs. Temple, it marked an impactful loss in year eight for head coach Mike Locksley. Locksley admitted he “can understand” why the 2026 team will have to prove capable of avoiding one loss turning into multiple in a row.

“I own that – that we have not finished very well after we’ve lost games and I've got to own that. But it's not going to be fixed here at the podium. It's going to be fixed with the work that we do Monday through Thursday, Friday the mental work, and then showing up and getting it executed.”

Yet with over 46,000 fans in attendance on Saturday, a packed student section, and a fourth sellout over the last six home games, Locksley also understands why there’s frustration given the program’s repeated shortcomings in big home games.

“It goes back to what my opening statement was: was that I understand why you ask the question, why you say those things. I understand why the fans are frustrated. They've earned the right for us to play better than we have. It won't get fixed here at the podium. It will get fixed across the streets with the work we do. We continue to do the work. We continue to improve. We'll continue to do the things we have to do to earn our trust back.”

Locksley was also asked whether he deserved additional chances in year eight as head coach, though the follow up question was cut off. Despite the humbling loss and the attention shift to conference play, Locksley reiterated the day-to-day process remains the same, win or loss, non-conference or Big Ten play.

“The way we prepare doesn't change going into conference play. I like the way our schedule is set up. I like the fact that we were able to build into conference play because we've had two formidable opponents in UConn that was a physical front team, and now a week ago facing Virginia Tech and now we're into Big Ten play. I like where we are. Obviously, [we] got to play better, got to execute better, got to coach better. And this week against UCLA, we get a chance to go out in our Big Ten opener to get those things fixed.”

Related Links