Locksley's introduction brings reflection and proposed path forward

By: Eric Myers

Michael Locksley stood backside a lectern Thursday for his introductory printing conference at Cole Field Firm, a identify where Locksley said he and his best friend used to spend a lot of time.

Cole Field House has changed quite a bit from those days, as it now houses the indoor practice facility for Maryland football game, the team that Locksley will at present oversee as the program'southward 37th head double-decker.

"Boy, it sure feels skillful to be home," Locksley said. "I tin't tell you guys enough how this is a dream come true for me to exist the leader of the Maryland Terrapin football game family."

The Washington D.C. native returns to College Park, a place where he has spent a combined x years of his coaching career serving as a running backs double-decker, offensive coordinator and as the interim head coach after Randy Edsall was fired in 2015.

Cole Field House is not the only element that's changed about the Maryland football programme. Locksley'due south render comes subsequently one of the nigh difficult seasons in the history of the program with Jordan McNair's death on June 13 and the fallout that followed, including DJ Durkin'southward firing.

"There was cypher that could finish me from wanting to take this job, other than confirming that all the pieces were in place for this program and this family unit to be successful," Locksley said. "After meeting with Dr. [Wallace] Loh, Damon [Evans], meeting with the search commission, I really felt comfortable that everyone was pulling in the right direction, pulling together to see this affair through the tough times."

Locksley acknowledged McNair's male parent, Marty McNair, who was in attendance during Th's press briefing, and thanked the elder McNair, whom he called a good friend, for being in attendance.

The relationship between Locksley and the McNair family dates back to the McDonogh School, where both Jordan McNair and Locksley'due south daughter, Kori, were student athletes in the same graduating course. During his time equally the offensive coordinator at Maryland, Locksley also began the recruiting efforts to bring McNair to Maryland.

That relationship has grown farther between the Locksley family and the McNair family unit in the wake of two tragedies that saw both families lose a son. Locksley'south son, Meiko, was shot and killed in Columbia, Maryland, in September 2017.

"We have a mutual bond," Locksley said. "When you lot lose a child, the circumvolve of life isn't built for parents to coffin kids. And then I've been a sounding board for Marty, he's been an ear for me. Our relationship has connected to grow."

This opportunity will be Locksley'south second official caput coaching position in his coaching tenure. His first caput coaching task was at New Mexico, where he accumulated a 2-26 record in three seasons at the captain. During his fourth dimension at New Mexico, off-the-field concerns as well arose. Still, Athletic Director Damon Evans believes that Locksley has grown since that time and is ready for this opportunity.

"Obviously Mike and I did have a extended conversation near [his time at New United mexican states]," Evans said. "Nosotros talked near his past. He's grown equally an private, I saw that. He indicated what he had learned. And you could but come across him, where he was then, which was 8 to 10 years ago, to where he is now, he'south had a lot of life lessons."

A part of Locksley'southward evolution equally a coach and a person came under the tutelage of Nick Saban at Alabama, where Locksley spent three years as an offensive assistant, including this season as the offensive coordinator.

"The number i matter, it starts with consistency. If you lot look at the Alabama football programme, it has consistency written all over it," Locksley said. "The biggest thing that I've learned from existence under double-decker Saban is focus on the process, not the results."

The procedure for Locksley in the coming weeks becomes a bit more complicated as he will be juggling his responsibilities in getting underway at Maryland, in terms of staffing and recruiting, with his responsibilities at Alabama in preparation for the Higher Football game Playoffs.

Locksley said he has a schedule in place to accomplish his responsibilities in both positions with the help of Saban, who'southward accustomed to his assistant coaches accepting other positions while finishing their post on Alabama's staff.

Over the side by side week, Locksley plans to meet with members of the current coaching staff individually to determine their future at Maryland. He will also encounter with players individually to innovate himself or get reacquainted with players he'due south recruited in the past. He plans to return to Alabama for practice on Dec. 14, as the team prepares for their semifinal tilt against Oklahoma.

"The way it's worked is I'll work on Oklahoma during the twenty-four hours and when we practise. And at night, I'll go in my office and put my Terp lid on and start recruiting for the Terps and getting the Terps ready for our season," Locksley said.

Locksley has been lauded for his recruiting acumen, which includes bringing former Maryland stars such equally Stefon Diggs, Vernon Davis and Lamont Jordan to the school. That element of Locksley'due south pedigree was considered, but Evans said "he is just as talented as a autobus" equally he is equally a recruiter.

When Locksley is recruiting, his priority will exist bringing the height players from the District, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) to Higher Park, a signal that he emphasized Thursday.

"I know this: If we keep the gates around the DMV and we go the summit players in this surface area to buy into staying here at home and building this thing from the footing upward together, in that location'southward nowhere in the state we can't get and compete with the best," Locksley said.

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/locksleys-introduction-brings-reflection-proposed-path-forward/

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