Latest news with #Terrapins
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Maryland football coach Mike Locksley admits he lost locker room due to NIL in 2024
Maryland football lost a ton of games in 2024, but Mike Locksley admitted he lost the locker room before those on-field losses. Speaking to ESPN on July 22, Locksley said he lost the locker room over which players he needed to compensate with NIL. That led to a 4-8 record, the worst since his first season in 2019 when the program finished 3-9. The Terrapins won just one conference game and lost each of the last five games of the season by at least 14 points. REQUIRED READING: Big Ten college football power rankings start with Penn State, Ohio State "I own the fact that I lost my locker room," Locksley told ESPN. "And this is Coach Locks, the locker room king, telling you this landscape, I had to choose between paying young players who were coming in or reward the older players that have been through the fire, three bowl wins, and I tried to do both with limited resources. And that's what you get: a locker room with the haves and have-nots." Following a 3-win season in 2019, the Terrapins went 2-3 in the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season. However, they went 23-16 between 2021 and 2023, which included three straight bowl victories. Maryland had not had three straight winning seasons since 2001-03. The program had never previously won bowl games in three straight seasons. Locksley called the 2024 season "a valuable lesson." "You go outside my locker room [now] and I have a sign that says: 'Leave your Louis belts, leave your financial statements and your car keys outside of this locker room, because in here we're all going to pay the same price for success or failure,'" Locksley said. "If I've got to put my desk in that locker room, I will. A valuable lesson learned." With the House settlement in place since July 1, Locksley said he has been able to focus more on the locker room this season rather than how much players are paid. He has a 33-41 record in his first six seasons with the Terrapins, and is 35-67 over his nine-year career as a head coach. "I call this a year of vulnerability for me, because I've been torn about what to say about our team when people ask; but I don't know what type of team we have yet," Locksley said. "Some people, as a coach, it's like a bad thing to say, 'I don't know.' But it's a good thing that I don't know."
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Maryland coach Mike Locksley admits 'I lost my locker room' during 4-8 season in 2024
Maryland coach Mike Locksley had an admission to make at Big Ten media day on Tuesday. Locksley told reporters in his opening statement that he 'lost my locker room' during a 4-8 campaign in 2024. Though he didn't specifically mention players' NIL deals as a reason why the locker room was fractured, Locksley said that he had a group of players who were haves and have-nots. 'When you think about our team, here's what I'll tell you. This for me is a kind of year of what I like to call vulnerability,' Locksley said. 'One of the greatest characteristics you can have as a leader is the ability to be vulnerable.' 'I'll tell you, a year ago Coach Locks lost his locker room. For me to stand in front of a group of media and tell you that I lost my locker rom, and it wasn't because I wasn't a good coach, it wasn't because they weren't good players because we were better than a four-win team. What we had to do was 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.' 'That valuable lesson is it's important for me, even in the midst of this change, to continue to educate our players on the importance of what playing for something bigger than yourself is all about, and I can tell you that if I've got to put my desk in the locker room this year, I will.' The 2024 season was just the second full losing season in Locksley's tenure with the team. Maryland went 3-9 in his first season in 2019 and had won 23 games over the previous three seasons and capped each of those with a bowl win. Advertisement There was no bowl game a season ago thanks to that losing record. Maryland's only conference win of the season came in a thriller against USC in October before the Terrapins ended the season on a five-game losing streak. Seven of Maryland's eight losses came by double digits too. The Terps entered the 2024 season with Billy Edwards as the team's starting QB following the departure of Taulia Tagovailoa. Tua's younger brother asked the NCAA for a waiver to play a sixth season in 2024 but was denied thanks to a fifth game he played as a freshman in Alabama in 2019. Edwards played in 11 games a season ago and transferred to Wisconsin in the offseason. True freshman Malik Washington could end up being the team's 2025 starter. He was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025 as the No. 3 dual-threat QB in the country and signed with Maryland in December of 2024. 'But I can tell you, last year was tough on me as a coach because for the first time those really strong relationships were questioned because I had to decide whether to pay a freshman coming in or take care of a veteran player that helped me go to three bowl games and have success and do something that hadn't been done in 130 years in the history of Maryland football.'
CBS News
17-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Maryland leaders push law to protect student-athletes from heat-related illnesses in Jordan McNair's name
Federal and Maryland leaders are taking a big step to protect student-athletes across the country from heat-related death and illnesses, in the name of former Maryland Terrapins football player Jordan McNair, who died of heat-related illness in 2018. The Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act is being reintroduced in Congress which will include protections for college and high school athletic programs. This bill honors Jordan McNair, a former freshman on the University of Maryland football team, who collapsed due to heatstroke during practice on May 29, 2018. That day, his temperature reached 106 degrees, and roughly 90 minutes passed before he arrived at a nearby hospital to receive medical attention. He was airlifted to the University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma Center to receive an emergency liver transplant, but died two weeks later. Since his death, Jordan McNair's parents, Martin 'Marty' McNair and Tonya Wilson, have been working to better educate people about heat-related illnesses. Jordan's family started the Jordan McNair Foundation, a nonprofit that works to educate student athletes, parents, and the football community at large on the signs and symptoms of heatstroke and heat-related illnesses. "What we've done is, you know, we've evolved from heat-related injuries to emergency action, plan, preparation, and education to student athlete education, and parent education, just in regards to the ever-changing collegiate landscape," Martin 'Marty' McNair said. McNair's story is what inspired U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) to introduce the Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act. "This type of injury, you know, most people, as I always said, you know, it doesn't impact you until it falls on your lap, or it's in your living room," said Marty McNair. "Unfortunately, this is that time of year when these types of injuries always occur." This is not the first time Maryland leaders have introduced this bill. In 2023, Congressman Mfume, and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin brought the bill to the forefront, but according to the Congress website, it never made it out of committee. "We lost Jordan McNair and several others, both here in Maryland and across the country," said Maryland U.S Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "So it is important for athletes not only to compete and to use their God given talent, but colleges, universities, and high schools need to make sure that they are protected." "Jordan McNair would be 26 today [in 2025]. We must honor his memory by getting this legislation passed," said Senator Angela Alsobrooks. The new bill that has been introduced will require both college and high school athletic programs to implement heat illness emergency action plans (EAPs) in consultation with local emergency responders, including the operation and use of cold-water immersion equipment. "Our goal really for this is to really create a baseline standard across the nation where they have all of the correct or all of the same safety systems in place when it comes to these injuries," Marty McNair said. Since Jordan McNair's death, the University of Maryland and other institutions have taken steps to prevent and treat heat-related injuries among their student athletes, including: "I look at Jordan every single day, especially when we make this type of impact," said Marty McNair. "I had no idea that he would be the poster boy for student athlete, safety, and how much, how much impactful, much more impactful his legacy would be." To learn more about the Jordan McNair Foundation and the events they host you can visit
Fox News
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Angel Reese ecstatic as her brother Julian signs with Lakers after going undrafted
Angel Reese is one proud sister after watching her brother Julian accomplish his own professional basketball goal. Julian Reese, the former forward for the Maryland Terrapins, was signed as an undrafted free agent to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday following the two NBA Draft rounds in prior days. The Terrapins celebrated the signing with a post of their own on X, and Angel Reese hopped in to congratulate her brother. She also encouraged her little brother to take advantage of what was ahead. "OPPORTUNITY," she wrote over Maryland's post. "COME ON JU." The younger Reese, who goes by "Juju," played four seasons at Maryland, where he tallied 1,488 points over his career. He also had 1,015 rebounds, which made him one of only two players in Terrapins history to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their career. Kevin Willard, Maryland's head coach, spoke about Julian Reese's impact on the program back in February. "I really believe one day Julian's number will be hanging from the rafters," he said, per 247Sports. "Because in an era where kids showed no loyalty, kids get up and go anytime they want, money this and that, this young man didn't transfer." The Terrapins made it to the Sweet Sixteen this past NCAA Tournament after Reese averaged 13.3 points and nine rebounds per game during his senior campaign. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors for the third straight season. Now, Reese will be joining the Lakers' Summer League roster, where he will team up with players like Bronny James and Dalton Knecht with hopes of impressing Los Angeles coaches enough to make the roster, or at least land with their G-League team. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rumor: Pelicans 'really like' Maryland center Derik Queen in 2025 NBA draft
Former Maryland center Derik Queen is reportedly drawing interest from the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68. Queen was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, averaging 16.5 points, nine rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 36 games on 52.6% shooting from the field. He helped lead the Terrapins to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016. The 6-foot-10 standout is highly touted for his versatility on offense and ability to score in various ways. He is a tremendous competitor and demonstrated throughout the year his ability to impact games on defense, traits that some believe make him the best big man in the draft. Queen, also an AP All-American honorable mention, set the program freshman scoring record (594 points) after registering 12 20-point games and 15 double-doubles, which led all first-year players. He ranked sixth in scoring average among Power Four freshmen. Queen competed in the combine last month, registering a 7-foot wingspan in the anthropometric measurement testing. He dazzled with that length with the Terrapins, another key trait that makes him an intriguing prospect at the next level. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle The 20-year-old is among the prospects who have worked out with the Pelicans. The team has also hosted several other projected first-rounders, including Nique Clifford (Colorado State), Cedric Coward (Washington State), Egor Demin (BYU) and Kon Knueppel (Duke), among others. New Orleans, led by new vice president Joe Dumars, acquired a second first-round pick on Tuesday, the 23rd overall selection from Indiana. The group appears to be set on adding two rookies for next season and could be zeroing in on Queen in the lottery. The draft will feature a two-night format for the second consecutive year, with the first round scheduled for June 25 and the second round for June 26 in Brooklyn, New York.
