Signs pointed toward Michael Locksley’s tenure ending after this season, especially amid a six-game losing streak. But Maryland football’s coach will return in 2026 for his eighth year leading the Terps.

Athletic director Jim Smith could have made a seismic change in his first year, but instead opted for continuity — while pledging increased resources for the program. 

Locksley wouldn’t elaborate at Tuesday’s press conference on where those resources are coming from or why they haven’t materialized since NIL laws took effect in 2021.

He instead emphasized his belief in a reenergized athletic department, led by Smith and senior deputy athletic director Diana Sabau, that believes in him.

“From the day that Diana and Jim got here … both those guys have played a huge role in [being] hip to hip with me,” Locksley said. “They have an understanding of what the future looks like.”

The timing is interesting.

Smith previously told The Baltimore Sun he wouldn’t make a decision until Maryland’s 2025 slate concluded, only to backtrack less than a week later by publicly supporting Locksley in a letter to fans Sunday.

[Maryland football coach Michael Locksley to return in 2026]

“A level playing field requires a level commitment,” Smith wrote. “We are fully committed to giving him and our student-athletes the resources and investments necessary to succeed.”

Locksley drew no issue to when it was released. He noted it “needed to be said,” and knew it would be discussed at his weekly Sunday meeting with Smith.

The news then trickled to a leadership meeting with players, which included Smith and Sabau, before reaching the entire team.

Receiver Octavian Smith Jr. and defensive lineman Cam Rice both said Locksley hasn’t approached team meetings any differently than before the news broke.

Rice said that Smith’s assurance provided hope and a sense of excitement to younger players for continued development under Locksley.

“You see it on social media, but you never know what’s real, what’s fake,” Rice said. “I definitely think that now that the air is cleared that it helps.”

[Maryland football fails to score a touchdown in sixth straight loss, 24-6 to Illinois]

The seventh-year coach said in July that the Terps had the necessary resources to “build a foundation”. 

But on Tuesday, he shifted that message — emphasizing how Maryland hasn’t had the resources to withstand a myriad of injuries and build depth this season.

“I’ve never sat up here and complained and bitched or moaned about resources,” he said.

Locksley made his point clear: “All I say is winning has a cost.” 

He said the phrase five times Tuesday.

Maryland is just 36-42 under Locksley and has yet to post a winning record in Big Ten play. His 16-41 mark against conference opponents remains a lingering stain.

The Terps’ coach noted he left a “cushy job” as offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2018 because he believed in the potential of the program and the region, and said he’s never operated under the illusion of job security — only loyalty.

He pointed to his 17 seasons spent on campus and relationships he’s built in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region as reasons he’s remained anchored to College Park despite abysmal results.

“’I’m excited. I see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Locksley said. “Really glad about the support, the opportunity to stay here committed to an area that I believe in because I’m from here.”

Smith said Locksley doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s done — especially as a Black head coach — and that his relationships with players are what will carry Maryland forward.

The senior receiver also cited his character in rebuilding a program at its “lowest peak” after the death of Jordan McNair, a season prior to Locksley returning to College Park as head coach.

“It’s not easy doing what he’s doing, and he’s doing it at an efficient level,” Smith said.

On Tuesday, Locksley framed his commitment to Maryland as the constant through an unstable season.

Whether an increase in football spending will make an impact is yet to be seen. But with resources on the way, 2026 brings an expectation for results.