The time has come for a new era of Maryland Terrapins football. After a long wait, the program officially moved on from eighth year head coach Mike Locksley following a fifth straight loss - the first firing to occur this season.

As with every coaching cycle, there is a large pool of hopefuls to evaluate and choose from. However, the Terps are unlikely to be in play for the top names available, so this list won't include those with national interest like Manny Diaz or either of Curt Cignetti's coordinators at Indiana.

Instead, a realistic choice would be an up and coming coach, or a vet looking to get back on their feet after a recent exit elsewhere.

Here are five candidates that make sense to be the next leader of Maryland football and what they each would bring to the program:

1. Charles Huff Jr. - Memphis Head Coach

Huff has been rapidly moving up the FBS ranks. His first head coaching job was at Marshall, where he led the Thundering Herd to four consecutive bowl berths, a win at No. 8 Notre Dame in 2022, and the 2024 Sun Belt Championship.

After a brief pit stop at Southern Miss, Huff was awarded a five-year contract from American powerhouse Memphis, who is off to a 5-2 start this season.

Huff is a Maryland native and both a great recruiter and talent developer - in past assistant roles, he was responsible for bringing Saquon Barkley to Penn State and coaching Najee Harris during his Doak Walker Award season at Alabama. In short, he'd keep the best qualities of Locksley while offering a fresh philosophy and a recent history of success.

2. Jake Dickert - Wake Forest Head Coach

Dickert is in year two of his tenure at Wake Forest and has already elevated them into the AP Top 25. After a three and a half year stint at Washington State, he went coast to coast and ended up at Tobacco Road's forgotten fourth child.

Under his leadership, the Demon Deacons burst onto the scene with an 8-4 regular season and Duke's Mayo Bowl victory, followed by a 6-1 start to this campaign.

But one big obstacle stands in Maryland's way: Dickert is a native of Wisconsin, and that program may soon be searching for their own head coach replacement. If the Badgers do decide to retain Luke Fickell, then it'll be a moot point, but another poor Big Ten slate from them could take this option off the board.

3. Dan Mullen - UNLV Rebels Head Coach

Mullen is a rare case of someone with significant SEC experience who is currently working to get back to the Power conferences. After nine seasons at Mississippi State and four with Florida, Mullen traded in his headset for an IFB and starred on ESPN as a color commentator and studio analyst.

He returned to coaching last year with UNLV and quickly made his mark, guiding the Rebels to an appearance in the Mountain West Championship game. Would a job just two hours south of his home in the Philly suburbs entice him back east?

Perhaps, but an investment in Mullen will also require one in his staff - a point he criticized Florida for not helping with during his tenure there. His name should generate good initial interest, but it would only stick if Maryland can invest around him properly.

4. Jason Eck - New Mexico Lobos Head Coach

Eck has succeeded at not just one, but two of the most disadvantaged programs in the entire country. After taking Idaho to the FCS Playoffs three years in a row, he guided New Mexico to a 9-3 regular season.

The Lobos are once again thriving with a 5-1 record - their only loss coming at a then-ranked Oklahoma. Eck has also shown a balance between discipline (taking away a turnover belt while trailing to Hawai'i) and fun (doing an alter ego skit for the UNM ticket office).

While some Terps fans may not want another New Mexico guy, given Locks' own connection there, the difference between the two is night and day. Like Dickert, he is a Wisconsin native (and a walk-on for his state's flagship school), so he'd be in consideration for that job as well.

5. Rick Bowie - UTSA Roadrunners Offensive Coordinator

Bowie is both the youngest and least experienced candidate on this list - evidenced by him also being the only one without a Wikipedia page yet. But with Maryland cash strapped and not exactly a premiere coaching destination, could they turn to a largely unknown, locally raised prospect?

Bowie has built dominant offenses year after year. In 2025, Western Kentucky averaged over 400 yards of total offense, including 272 through the air. The year before, Abilene Christian ranked 4th among all FCS teams in total offense.

Now UTSA sits at the top of the American with their only loss at Texas. The Baltimore native would be a risk as a first time head coach, but hiring him could also allow Maryland to spend on a strong support staff.

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