COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Since Michael Locksley was named Maryland’s head coach back in December, many have been eager to see how the hire will pan out for the Terps. After a long offseason following a tumultuous 2018 that left the Terps searching for an improved football culture, their answer will start to take shape as Maryland hosts Howard Aug. 31 in its season opener.
It technically won’t be Locksley’s first time on the Maryland sideline as head coach — he was promoted from offensive coordinator to interim head coach in 2015 and coached the last six games of the season, going 1-5 — but it will be the first time without the interim tag and with a team he spent all offseason leading.
There are those who doubt Locksley and his 3-31 record as a college football head coach, and others who think he is the perfect fit for the job at Maryland. How effective he is as the leader of the Terps’ program remains to be seen, but Locksley knows any success he will have on the job starts Saturday against the Bison by establishing an identity and showing the world that the football culture in College Park has indeed changed.
“One of the things we’ve talked to our team about is creating an identity and that you really only have one opportunity to make a first impression,” Locksley said Wednesday. “We’re trying to create an identity and trying to get better each practice so that come Saturday we can be hitting on all cylinders. Our team is kind of chomping at the bit to get to game day, but they have to go through the process is takes during the course of a game week. We’ve tried to limit the distractions and I think our guys have taken it very well.”
Thinking back to 2015 when he was preparing to be the Terps’ head coach for the first time for a game against Penn State, Locksley recalls being a bit overly emotional and allowing those emotions to affect his coaching. He intends to learn from that experience this time around and bring a more focused and authoritative approach on Saturday.
“I’m excited about it,” Locksley said. “This is what I’ve always dreamed of. For it to be here and to have this opportunity, I’m pumped. The first time I did it getting ready for Penn State back in 2015, I was a little more emotional than I needed to be, and some of those emotions roll over into your decision making. And I don’t need that. I need to make good choices and good decisions throughout the course of the game.”
Locksley’s decision making will be under close scrutiny on Saturday — not necessarily because Howard is a team talented enough to take full advantage of the Terps’ mistakes, but so that Locksley can begin to legitimize himself as Maryland’s lead man.
However, the opinion others have about his coaching ability isn’t at the forefront of Locksley’s mind this week. Despite wanting to make a good first impression for his latest stint as Maryland’s head coach, Locksley is much more concerned about the way his players look and that they start to show the effort and discipline he has been trying to instill in them this offseason.
“We don’t even talk about winning,” Locksley said. “I want us to play with great effort. I want us to play with good discipline. And typically in first games we try to guard against sloppy football — the ball being on the ground, a lot of penalties, turnovers, things like that. I’m looking forward to seeing us played really disciplined and seeing that we’ve taken the next step.”
Locksley cited the amount of penalties the Terps had last season as a major problem that had to be addressed. Although Maryland is nearly 30-point favorites on Saturday and will likely be able to handle Howard despite the number of penalties committed, Locksley doesn’t want his team to have that mindset.
“We play to a standard, not to our opponent,” Locksley said. ‘What that means is how we go about doing business throughout the course of the week and the effort and discipline with which we play the game, it doesn’t matter who we’re going to play.”
Like Maryland, Howard will also be ushering out a new head coach on Saturday — Ron Prince — who is replacing former Terps defensive line coach Mike London. The Bison are looking to bounce back after a lackluster 2018 season, and they hope to do so behind the arm and legs of their dual-threat quarterback Caylin Newton — brother of Carolina Panthers signal caller Cam Newton. Newton’s favorite target, Jequez Ezzard, who averaged 26.6 yards per catch last season, is someone the Terps’ will have to be mindful of.
“Obviously having the opportunity to play against a cross-town rival, that’s always a neat game because there are some natural rivalries involved,” Locksley said. “They’re a team that has some explosive weapons on the offensive side — some big-time quarterbacks and big-time receivers. I know they’ll be well-coached. I have a lot of respect for coach Prince and his staff and the job they do. But I think it will be a big test for us and we need to be more concerned about how Maryland plays than what Howard does.”
Without a doubt, there is a ton of excitement swirling around College Park for Terps football this fall. Much of that buzz comes from within the program, as players and coaches are chomping at the bit to show that their hard work has been paying off.
For Locksley, like most of the Terps fans out there, he’s most anxious to see what type of team he really has.
“You never know what type of team you have until you play the game,” Locksley said. “So that’s what I’m most excited about.”
Kickoff in College Park between Maryland and Howard is at 12 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on Maryland Sports Radio Network and televised on the Big Ten Network.
