Maryland got the college coaching carousel going early this year. The Terps fired Mike Locksley on Oct. 21, a couple of weeks before Florida State made its move, and they’re still looking.
Locksley was 2-5 when they let him go, and a homecoming loss to Rutgers was pretty much the last straw. He finishes 39-54 in College Park and a brutal 17-52 in the Big Ten. Maryland owes him $9.75 million, with no offset.
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim has the team for the rest of the year. So who gets it for real? Here’s our board.
Next Maryland Coach Odds
| Coach | Current Job | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Huff | Memphis HC | +250 | 28.6% |
| Jake Dickert | Wake Forest HC | +500 | 16.7% |
| Lance Taylor | Western Michigan HC | +600 | 14.3% |
| Dan Mullen | UNLV HC | +800 | 11.1% |
| Brian Hartline | USF HC | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Billy Napier | James Madison HC | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Brian Kelly | Former LSU HC | +1500 | 6.3% |
| Aazaar Abdul-Rahim | Maryland interim HC | +2000 | 4.8% |
| Manny Diaz | Duke HC | +2500 | 3.8% |
| Biff Poggi | Big Ten Network analyst | +5000 | 2.0% |
Odds via Mr. Gamble’s own handicapping as of Nov. 6, 2026. Not a sportsbook market.
Charles Huff, +250
If you had to pick one name, it’s probably Huff. He’s from Denton, Maryland, and he was even an intern with the Terps back in 2009, so the local ties are about as real as it gets.
He also wins. Huff is 44-27 as a head coach, including a 10-win season at Marshall in 2024, and he’s been around the Big Ten and SEC as an assistant.
The one odd thing is that he just got to Memphis. Taking Maryland would mean four jobs in four years, and that’s a lot of moving around. Traders on Kalshi still have him as the favorite, but his price has slid since late October, so the market isn’t as sure as it was.
Jake Dickert, +500
Maryland fans want Dickert. A Testudo Times reader survey had him as the clear top choice.
The problem is that so does everybody else. He’s 7-1 at Wake Forest, and he’s the guy we’ve got as the favorite for the Florida State job too. If FSU goes after him, it’s tough to see Maryland winning that fight.
That’s the only reason he’s not higher. On paper, he’s a great fit.
Lance Taylor, +600
Taylor’s a fun one. He won the MAC at Western Michigan last year, and this season his team basically beat Michigan in the opener before it got taken away in a controversial finish.
People noticed how he handled that. He’s young and rising, and Maryland could get him before somebody bigger does.
Dan Mullen, +800
Mullen won 10 games in his first year at UNLV after a few years in the ESPN studio, which put him right back on the map. He’s got SEC head coaching experience from Mississippi State and Florida.
The Rebels’ slower start this year hurt his stock a bit, though, and Maryland fans don’t seem into it. Only 7% of fans in that same survey picked him.
The Rest of the Board
Brian Hartline (+1000) is a monster recruiter from his Ohio State days, and he’s in his first year running USF. He might need another season before a jump like this.
Billy Napier (+1200) is 69-35 as a head coach and landed at James Madison after Florida. Solid, not flashy.
Brian Kelly (+1500) has said he wants to coach again, and he’s got almost 300 wins. Would he really take Maryland, though? We’re skeptical.
Abdul-Rahim (+2000) is in the mix, at least on paper. He’s a D.C. guy and has been at Maryland on and off for years. But he lost his first game 20-17 to Illinois, and most people expect AD Jim Smith to go outside the building.
Manny Diaz (+2500) has come up, but he’s already said he’s happy at Duke.
And then there’s Biff Poggi (+5000), who told the Baltimore Sun flat out that he wants the job. We respect it. We just don’t see it happening.
When Will Maryland Name a Coach?
Maryland still has Wisconsin, a trip to USC and Penn State to close the season.
Smith hired a search firm and has said he’s casting a wide net. This is his first big coaching hire, so he probably isn’t rushing it.
Our guess is late November or early December, after the regular season wraps. The wild card is Florida State. If FSU lands Dickert first, that clears the board a little for Maryland and probably helps Huff.
Odds and implied probabilities reflect our own handicapping for informational and entertainment purposes only, not a licensed sportsbook market. Gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
