In the 2024-25 academic year, the Terps lost their athletic director, endured a miserable football season and had a historic basketball season before the coach of the men’s team departed.
In the fall, Maryland football regressed after winning three straight bowl games for the first time in program history. The Terps won just a single Big Ten contest — their worst conference finish since a 1-8 performance in coach Michael Locksley’s first season — and faced inconsistencies along the offensive line and in the secondary.
But there’s renewed hope looking ahead to next season. According to 247Sports, Locksley brought in a top-25 recruiting class headlined by Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and four-star quarterback Malik Washington. But he also lost last year’s starting quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr., to Wisconsin in the transfer portal, along with a slew of other key contributors from a season ago.
Maryland and Locksley are hoping for a much-needed bounce back season after one in which the coach said he lost the locker room for the first time in his career. Washington and UCLA transfer Justyn Martin will likely battle it out for the starting job in fall camp.
Like football, no other fall sports found much success. But in the winter, the men’s and women’s basketball teams both made the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, while wrestling and gymnastics each took strides toward national relevance.
Derik Queen was the star of the men’s basketball season. The five-star freshman from Baltimore took the fanbase by storm for his unique playstyle, baby-faced joy and witty humor.
The pinnacle of the Terps’ season — and his — came when Queen hit a buzzer-beater in the NCAA tournament second round to send Maryland to its first Sweet 16 since 2016. Queen became nationally known and declared for the NBA draft in April.
But much of his spotlight was taken when coach Kevin Willard expressed the need for “fundamental changes” in the men’s basketball program during an NCAA tournament press conference. His comments sparked rumors throughout the postseason run, ending in him taking a head coach job at Villanova at the season’s end before Maryland hired former Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams as his replacement just days later and quickly rebuilt its roster.
Women’s basketball also turned in a successful season, winning six of its last seven regular season games and 25 overall. The Terps won a thrilling double overtime game over Alabama in the NCAA tournament second round, then lost to No. 2-seed South Carolina in the Sweet 16.
Guard Shyanne Sellers was selected with the 17th pick in the WNBA draft — before she was later waived and signed by the Atlanta Dream — and coach Brenda Frese restocked her team with three transfers and three freshmen.
In the spring, both lacrosse teams turned in strong seasons, making the NCAA tournament as top seeds. The women’s team made the tournament for a nation-leading 35th straight time, while the men’s squad made its 22nd straight, also an NCAA best. Baseball and softball struggled. Both teams missed the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season in their coach’s second years at the helm.
