Heading into the 2025 College Football season, Maryland Head Coach Mike Locksley may be on one of the hottest seats in the Big Ten. The Terrapins are coming off of a 4-8 season where the team went 1-8 in Big Ten play. As Maryland's Head Coach, Mike Locksley has a 15-20 record in his seasons without Taulia Tagovailoa as his starter which should be the biggest concern.
Given that Mike Locksley is facing the pressure to put up results in 2025, his appearance at Big Ten Media Days was going to be important to follow. Rather than pumping up his program, Mike Locksley sent a terrible message to players everywhere.
Mike Locksley blames the players for his shortcomings in 2024
On Tuesday Afternoon, Mike Locksley blamed NIL for his team's failures in 2024 while claiming he's willing to play the role of babysitter in the locker room if he needs to do so.
"A year ago, Coach Locks lost his locker room. We had haves and have-nots for the first time in our locker room, and the landscape of college football taught me a valuable lesson. If I have to put my desk in the locker room, I will."Mike Locksley
Mike Locksley took the quotes one step further revealing he has a stunning sign outside of the Maryland locker that reads the following: "You can leave your Louis belt, your car keys and your financial statement outside those doors".
While NIL can certainly create a divide in the locker room, using it as an excuse to throw your players under the bus, probably isn't the greatest move. Locksley admitting to the media that you allowed the season to spin out of control only reflects poorly on his leadership more than it does on the players leadership. At any given moment during the season, Locksley could've sent a loud and clear message but, he instead waits until after the season to raise the issue.
The quote from Locksley including the sign outside of his locker room also won't help him as he looks to recruit at an elite level. This is the NIL era of College Football and whether coaches like it or not, the players will also make money now and the great coaches will figure out how to handle the issues that arise.
When a great coach with a winning history claims it's a problem, everyone listens as their track record shows that the struggle may not be on them. When the message comes from a coach who appears to be trying to save face, the message falls on deaf ears.