Michael Locksley will make $2.5 million in his first year as Maryland’s head football coach, plus up to $775,000 in performance incentives, according to the memorandum of understanding offer obtained by The Washington Post through an open records request.
He has a five-year deal that will be extended by a year if he is still the head coach on the day after the 2019 regular season. If that’s the case, it will run through Dec. 31, 2024.
If Maryland terminates the agreement without cause, the school will owe Locksley 65 percent of his guaranteed compensation, which amounts to approximately $1.6 million per year.
Locksley, who was introduced last week by Maryland, will serve in his previous role as offensive coordinator at Alabama until its season is finished. He was expected to leave College Park on Thursday for Tuscaloosa to rejoin the Crimson Tide staff as it prepares for its College Football Playoff semifinal vs. Oklahoma on Dec. 29.
Maryland has yet to officially announce the hiring of anyone to Locksley’s staff, though Elijah Brooks said this week that he had stepped down as head coach at Washington area high school power DeMatha to join Maryland as its running backs coach.
Other details from the memorandum of understanding:
If Maryland plays in the Big Ten championship game, Locksley would receive a $100,000 bonus, and if the team wins the conference championship, he would receive another $50,000.
If Locksley’s team participates in a bowl game, he earns $50,000. He would receive $100,000 for a New Year’s Six bowl game, $200,000 for a College Football Playoff berth and $300,000 for participation in the national championship game. These incentives are noncumulative, so the most he can receive for postseason participation is $300,000.
The agreement also includes incentives for winning postseason games: $35,000 for a bowl win, $75,000 for a New Year’s Six bowl win, $100,000 for a College Football Playoff semifinal win and $250,000 for a national championship game win. These incentives can be combined with the postseason participation bonuses, so if he plays in a bowl game and wins the game, he would receive $85,000.
Locksley can also earn an additional $50,000 if he’s named the Associated Press national coach of the year and $25,000 if he is the Big Ten coach of the year.
Locksley will receive 24 tickets for each home game, away game and postseason game, as well as four tickets to each men’s and women’s basketball home game.
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