Maryland is searching for a new football coach after firing Mike Locksley, with several names already emerging as candidates. Maryland fired Locksley on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, after an 0-4 start in Big Ten play left the team at 2-5 in his eighth season, according to Yahoo Sports.
Dickert’s name carries the most weight so far. Sources described to CBS Sports painted him as the hottest name in the 2026 coaching cycle, with every program currently searching for a coach believed to have interest in him.
What Was Reported About Each Candidate
Dickert, 43, is in his second season at Wake Forest and has the Demon Deacons at 14-5 overall with the team ranked No. 17, according to CBS Sports. Industry sources cited by the outlet view him as a program builder, pointing to his background at Wisconsin and his prior turnaround work at Washington State.
Manny Diaz, the former Miami head coach now leading Duke at 4-2, was identified as a candidate by both CBS Sports and FOX Sports. Diaz won the ACC a year ago and has kept Duke competitive this season despite losing quarterback Darian Mensah to the transfer portal, according to FOX Sports.
CBS Sports also listed New Mexico’s Bob Eck, a former Wisconsin offensive lineman who has gone 40-18 at the Group of Five level, calling him a proven winner outside the Power Four. The outlet noted Colorado would also have interest in Eck if Deion Sanders were to leave Boulder.
Two Indiana assistants under Curt Cignetti drew mention as coordinator-level options. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, 36, won the Broyles Award last season and has drawn NFL interest, with CBS Sports describing him as a potential future NFL or college head coach. Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, also 36 and a Pennsylvania native, has worked with Cignetti at four different coaching stops.
Memphis coach Mike Huff, a Maryland native, is a candidate with local DMV ties, according to FOX Sports. Huff is 5-2 in his first season with Memphis after going 32-20 at Marshall, where he led the Tigers to 10 wins in 2024, and one year at Southern Miss. FOX Sports noted he is in his third job in three seasons.
USA Today also mentioned former coach Dan Mullen, who has 11 bowl appearances and seven wins; South Florida first-year coach Brian Hartline, who opened 4-0 before losing two straight and was previously a top wide receivers coach at Ohio State; and Brian Kelly, a 200-win former Notre Dame and LSU coach seeking a return to the Power Four, citing Kelly’s connection to Maryland booster Kevin Plank of Under Armour.
What Maryland Has Said
Maryland has made no public comment identifying candidates. Athletic director Jim Smith, who took over the role in July 2025, will oversee the search as his first major hire for the program, according to CBS Sports. Defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim was named interim head coach following Locksley’s firing.
Why It Would Matter
If Maryland lands a coach like Dickert, it would be hiring from a program with real momentum. Wake Forest sits at 14-5 under his watch and ranked in the top 20 nationally. If the Terrapins instead turn to a proven Group of Five winner like Eck or a well-regarded coordinator like Haines or Shanahan, it would signal a bet on upside over an established Power Four résumé. CBS Sports described Maryland as the best Power Four job open right now, though the report noted Florida State’s job could also open later in the cycle, which may affect which candidates stay available.
Locksley finished with a 39-54 record over eight seasons. The buyout owed to him is $9.75 million, with roughly $4.9 million due in a lump sum within 60 days, a figure that will factor into how Maryland budgets for its next hire.
What’s Next
No interviews or formal offers have been reported for any of the names mentioned. Abdul-Rahim remains interim coach while the search proceeds.
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