Maryland football approach for 2026: ‘Work more and talk a little less’

COLLEGE PARK — Maryland football coach Michael Locksley has abandoned catchy slogans for a verse. Namely, Proverbs 14:23, which reads, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. ” Locksley has abridged the verse to, “The more you work, the richer you are.

The more you talk, the poorer you are. ” But the message is the same. “For me, one of the things that we need to do is probably work more and talk a little less,” he said during the team’s spring media day Tuesday afternoon at SECU Stadium.

“So less on the mantras and [more on] what we need to do. ” Rather than proclaiming that the Terps are ready to challenge for Big Ten championships or hanging a sign directing players to leave their Louis Vuitton bags and egos outside the locker room, Locksley took a more measured approach to the penultimate year of his contract. Locksley, 56, welcomed the additions of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Clint Trickett, special teams coordinator Matt Barnes and tight ends coach Kyle Schmitt — the former Spalding coach — to his staff, extolled the benefits of a deeper roster and cited the presence of 11 early enrolled players and 11 transfers to accelerate their transition.

Locksley did repeat some familiar refrains, such as how nothing is easy at Maryland and how he doesn’t feel pressure despite a restless fan base stewing over back-to-back campaigns of 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the Big Ten. Locksley acknowledged that the sense of urgency remains as intense as ever. “The expectation I have has always been the same, and it hasn’t changed,” he said.