Next Maryland Football Head Coach Odds: Huff and Dickert Lead After Locksley Firing
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Maryland has its first Power 4 coaching vacancy of the 2026 season. The Terrapins fired Mike Locksley on Wednesday following their 12th consecutive Big Ten loss, ending an eight-year tenure that finished 39-54. Charles Huff of Memphis is our +350 favorite to replace him, with Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert next at +450. These odds aren't yet on US sports betting apps, so get ahead of the market here.
Next Maryland Football Head Coach Odds
Mike Locksley was fired Wednesday after Maryland’s 12th straight Big Ten loss. Here’s who we think lands the job in College Park.
1 Charles HuffMemphis · Head Coach FAVORITE +35022.2% implied
Maryland native (Denton) who interned with the Terps in 2009 and has since run programs at Marshall, Southern Miss and Memphis. Coached under James Franklin at Penn State and Nick Saban at Alabama, giving him Big Ten and SEC experience plus deep ties to the region Maryland needs to recruit. A 44–27 head coach with a 2024 league title at Marshall.
2 Jake DickertWake Forest · Head Coach FAVORITE +45018.2% implied
Has won at two jobs, Washington State and Wake Forest, both with built-in challenges, so Maryland’s rebuild wouldn’t scare him. Wake won nine games in his first season and is 6–1 this fall. The open question is whether he sees College Park as a sensible next stop while his current team is surging.
3 Jason EckNew Mexico · Head Coach CONTENDER +60014.3% implied
Won a program-record nine games in his first season at New Mexico and has the Lobos 5–1 and atop the Mountain West this fall. Went 26–13 in three seasons at Idaho before that. Named by CBS Sports, 247Sports and others as a Maryland fit, though he could be Wisconsin’s first choice if Luke Fickell is dismissed.
4 Aazaar Abdul-RahimMaryland · Interim Head Coach CONTENDER +80011.1% implied
Named interim head coach after being promoted to defensive coordinator on Sunday, when Ted Monachino was fired. A Washington, D.C., native with strong local ties and a key figure inside the building for retaining top talent. Played a big role in Maryland’s consensus top-20 recruiting class in 2017. His audition is the five games left after the Week 8 bye.
4 Brian HartlineSouth Florida · Head Coach CONTENDER +80011.1% implied
Only in his first season as a head coach and may need more seasoning, but he would bring energy and prevent a recruiting dropoff after building the best receiver pipeline in the sport at Ohio State. Athletics director Jim Smith and senior deputy AD Diana Sabau both spent time at Ohio State.
6 Lance TaylorWestern Michigan · Head Coach LONGSHOT +12007.7% implied
Led Western Michigan to the 2025 MAC title and is 15–6 since the start of that season. His handling of a controversial season-opening loss to Michigan resonated with administrators, and his offensive background comes with years in the NFL plus stops at Stanford and Notre Dame. Expect competition from other schools for his services.
6 Manny DiazDuke · Head Coach LONGSHOT +12007.7% implied
Led Duke to its first outright ACC title since 1962 in 2025 and signed an extension through 2031, so he would have to be pried away. Previously went 21–15 at Miami and spent two seasons as Penn State’s defensive coordinator. One local columnist at Terp Talk named him the most complete candidate.
8 Dan MullenUNLV · Head Coach LONGSHOT +15006.2% implied
Won 10 games in his UNLV debut after three years as an ESPN analyst, but the Rebels are 4–3 this fall. Brings two SEC stops, three 10-win seasons and five AP top-15 finishes, plus a strong quarterback track record. He would need a stronger recruiting plan after the way things ended at Florida.
9 Brian KellyCBS Sports Analyst · Ex-LSU LONGSHOT +20004.8% implied
Fired by LSU in October 2025 after a 5–3 start and now works as a CBS analyst on Mountain West games, but has said he wants to coach again. LSU agreed to pay his reported $54 million buyout as long as he makes good-faith efforts to find work, which is why retread names like his get floated. Yahoo’s list of Maryland replacements includes him.
10 The FieldAny Other Candidate LONGSHOT +10009.1% implied
Smith is running his first major coaching search, and Maryland will likely target candidates who have recruited the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia area. Candidates will also ask how invested the school is in football: Maryland has never had a winning record in Big Ten play.
Why Maryland Fired Mike Locksley
Locksley went 10-21 since the start of the 2024 season, and the Terps are 2-5 this fall after a 37-30 homecoming loss to Rutgers. Maryland has lost 13 straight games against Power 4 opponents. The school had a chance to move on last November, when athletic director Jim Smith kept Locksley for an eighth year and promised more resources for the roster. Results didn’t change.
Maryland owes Locksley a buyout of $9.75 million with no offset, according to ESPN, so the school pays it in full even if he takes another job. Defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim is the interim head coach, and his first game is Oct. 31 against Illinois.
Charles Huff (+350) and Jake Dickert (+450) Are the Favorites
Charles Huff, Memphis (+350). Huff is the best geographic and résumé fit on the board. He’s from Denton, Maryland, interned with the Terps in 2009, and has coached under James Franklin at Penn State and Nick Saban at Alabama. He’s 44-27 as a head coach across Marshall, Southern Miss and Memphis, with a league title at Marshall in 2024. Memphis is 5-2 this season. The question is whether a coach who has moved up every few years is ready to stay put.
Jake Dickert, Wake Forest (+450). Dickert has won at two difficult jobs, Washington State and Wake Forest, and ESPN describes him as an excellent personnel evaluator. Wake Forest is 6-1 this fall, which raises his price to leave and makes Maryland a less obvious next step.
Jason Eck, Abdul-Rahim and Hartline Are the Contenders
Jason Eck, New Mexico (+600). Eck won a program-record nine games in his first season with the Lobos, and New Mexico is 5-1 and leading the Mountain West. He’s 40-18 as a head coach after three seasons at Idaho. His case is a rising Group of 6 builder. The complication is Wisconsin: if Luke Fickell is dismissed there, Eck is widely seen as a natural fit in Madison.
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, interim (+800). The longtime assistant is a Washington, D.C., native with strong local ties and is viewed inside the program as a key to retaining talent. Five games remain, and Maryland can see what he does with them.
Brian Hartline, South Florida (+800). Hartline is in his first season as a head coach, with USF at 5-2. He built Ohio State’s receiver pipeline, and that matters because both Smith and senior deputy AD Diana Sabau have Ohio State backgrounds.
Longshots: Taylor, Diaz, Mullen and Kelly
- Lance Taylor, Western Michigan (+1200): MAC champion in 2025 and 15-6 since the start of that season.
- Manny Diaz, Duke (+1200): led Duke to its first outright ACC title since 1962 and signed an extension through 2031, so he’d be expensive to pry away.
- Dan Mullen, UNLV (+1500): 117-68 as an FBS head coach, but UNLV is 4-3 and the end of his Florida tenure still hangs over him.
- Brian Kelly (+2000): fired by LSU in 2025 and now a CBS analyst. He’s 297-109-2 as a head coach and has said he wants to coach again.
What Maryland Is Selling
The school’s best asset is its location in the middle of a strong recruiting area, and Maryland is likely to target coaches who know the DMV. The pitch will be harder than the geography suggests: Maryland has never had a winning record in Big Ten play, and its athletic department was the lowest earner in the conference last year. Smith estimated in April that it sits $50 million to $60 million behind the conference’s middle. Any candidate will want to know how much the school will invest, and that may matter more than the list of names.
FAQ
Who is the favorite to be the next Maryland football coach?
Charles Huff of Memphis is our favorite at +350, followed by Jake Dickert of Wake Forest at +450. Huff is a Maryland native with Big Ten and SEC experience, which is why he leads.
Who is Maryland’s interim head coach?
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, who had just been promoted to defensive coordinator after Ted Monachino was fired on Sunday. His first game as interim is Oct. 31 against Illinois.
How much does Maryland owe Mike Locksley?
ESPN reports a buyout of $9.75 million with no offset, meaning Maryland pays the full amount even if Locksley is hired elsewhere.
Are these odds from sportsbooks?
No. They are Bookies.com editorial projections based on reporting, candidate résumés and fit.
Methodology: Odds are Bookies.com editorial projections as of Oct. 21, 2026 and will change as the search develops. Sources: ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, 247Sports and team records from ESPN.
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