The worst mistake Maryland ever made was leaving the ACC for the Big Ten.Â
Maryland was and still is a perfect fit for the ACC. Unfortunately, financial issues made it impossible for the Terrapins to remain there, and they took the bag to get into the most lucrative conference in the country. It has been a slog since and fans are not happy about it.Â
With Mike Locksley, the latest coach, failing to bring the team out of the depths, we have to look at some names who have a better chance of doing it.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks
Many of the coaches will be coming from lower level schools. Beamer is the exception and with good reason. After saving his job with an upset victory over Florida in his last outing, Beamer is still on the hot seat at South Carolina.
He knows this and has shown increasing frustration this season dealing with different issues, including the handling of star defensive lineman Dylan Stewart. He may decide to get out before being forced out.
With deep connections to the DMV area, Beamer, who can recruit locally. And the Terrapins would get a boost from saying that they got a power conference head coach to come to the school. While this does not assure success, it is an acknowledgement that they did not have to go down a level for their next man in charge. To many schools, this is just as important as the name itself.
Beamer is still a revered name in this area of the country. Shane can use this to his benefit, and there are still a lot of talented players in the region at schools such as Gonzaga and St. Francis Academy. If he can get those names to come to College Park rather than State College, Blacksburg and Eugene, the program can be rebuilt in short order.
Jason Eck, New Mexico Lobos
This is entirely predicated on Luke Fickell staying at Wisconsin. If Fickell ends up getting dismissed from the Badgers, Eck is the first, second and last choice for the team. Right now, it looks as if Fickell is on pace to keep his job and this leaves Eck open for offers to leave New Mexico and the Mountain West Conference.
After being the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator for a powerhouse South Dakota State team for six seasons, Eck spent three seasons as the head coach at Idaho before being hired in 2024 at New Mexico. This traditional path will eventually lead to glory — both his own, and to the program smart enough to give him a power conference job.
Eck has proven to have solid offenses at all levels and as seen many times, it is far easier for an offensive-minded coach to bring in a good defensive scheme than it is for a defensive-minded coach to bring in a good offense.
Maryland already has pieces in place for Eck to work with. If he can add to this and get Malik Washington back into form, Maryland can start going to bowl games consistently again.
Charlie Huff, Memphis Tigers
Of course, Huff must be on this list.
Huff has continued to move up in jobs over the past three seasons. First with Marshall, then to Southern Miss and now with the Memphis Tigers in the American Conference.
In each stop, he has improved the team before moving on, after which, the school immediately reverted to prior form. He also has a keen ability to find transfers and convince them that he is the best person to coach them. This season, this played out by attracting both Air Noland and Marcus Stokes to the school to compete for the starting position.
If Huff can do this type of recruiting for a Group of Six school, imagine what he can do and who he can get with the resources of a Big Ten program behind him.
Huff learned under the best in Nick Saban during time with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has used this knowledge to move up at an extraordinary pace. A lower-level Big Ten or SEC position is the next step, and it is a step that the Terrapins should try to make right now., before someone else snaps him up.
Dan Mullen, UNLV
We all know Mullen does not like to recruit. Kirby Smart made sure everyone knew it. This is what got Mullen fired at Florida and why he was in the studio for multiple seasons before returning to the sidelines in Las Vegas.
It is also well known that recruiting in the traditional sense no longer matters in the current landscape.
Mullen has always been seen as an excellent X’s and O’s coach. From his time with Mississippi State and Florida, this has never been a problem. That is exactly what Maryland needs at the moment to return to relevance in the Big Ten.
This season has been a roller-coaster for UNLV. But they are still one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference. This is due to the coaching of Mullen as quarterback Jackson Arnold has proven he is not a solid player and has limited what the Rebels can do.
Whether he decides he can fix Malik Washington or goes into the transfer portal to find a new signal caller, Mullen can reverse the course in College Park and do so quickly.
With his time spent at Mississippi State and Florida, he has plenty of connections on this side of the Mississippi River. He can use these connections to find the right assistant coaches and general manager to get him the players he needs. Then, all he has to do is coach them — which is what he does best.
JaMarcus Shephard, Oregon State Beavers
Not only has Shephard proven himself in the first seven weeks in the new Pac-12, but he also comes with a talented freshman wide receiver. One who can get his hands on the ball without dropping it — something which has been completely foreign to the Terrapins offense throughout the tenure of quarterback Malik Washington.
Quarterback Braden Atkinson and true freshman receiver Jesse Legree have partnered for 46 receptions, 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns in just seven games this season. Legree has more yardage and touchdowns than Jeremiah Smith and unlike Smith, Legree had no Power Four offers coming out of high school.
If Shephard gets the job with Maryland and if he can bring Atkinson and Legree with him, the offense would be amazing. While Legree and Atkinson will not replicate their Pac-12 production, the numbers they will still put up can still bring the Terrapins back to middling rather than leftovers. Just look at what Eric Morris, Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins are doing with Oklahoma State this season for an example of what is possible.Â
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