Maryland football associate head coach and defensive line coach Mike London is slated to become the head coach at Howard, a source with knowledge of the situation said Friday. A Maryland official declined to confirm the report Friday evening.
The Montgomery County Senintel’s Brandy Simms first reported the news.
London joined coach DJ Durkin’s staff last offseason after holding the top job at Virginia from 2010 until he resigned after the 2015 season. He led Richmond in the two seasons prior.
Howard did not re-sign coach Gary Harrell after the six-year leader’s contract expired after the season, which started with a 52-13 loss to the Terps in College Park.
Before the 2016 campaign, when Maryland finished the regular season with a 6-6 record before losing the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 26, London admitted his excitement to focus on coaching a positional group after serving as a head coach for the past eight years. He was one of three former head coaches Durkin brought in with his initial hires.
Under London’s tutelage, the Terps defensive line contributed to the team tying for third in the Big Ten with 37 sacks. The unit will lose two starters next season — defensive linemen Roman Braglio and Azubuike Ukandu — but has seven commits in the 2017 class, including four-star tackles Cam Spence and Breyon Gaddy.
Spence, a St. John’s College High School product, and Gaddy, a Virginia native, hail from the recruiting region the team has targeted. London has deep ties in the DMV area that have helped Durkin’s staff establish a prominent presence in its first year.
