Brian Kelly has interviewed for the Maryland Terrapins’ head coaching job and is emerging as a top name in the search to replace Mike Locksley, On3’s Pete Nakos reported Saturday. InsideMDSports had reported Maryland’s interest in the former Notre Dame and LSU coach earlier in the week.
Maryland moved on from Locksley on Oct. 21 after a 2-5 start that included five straight losses, coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim is finishing the year as interim coach. Kelly, 65, has been out of coaching since LSU fired him on Oct. 26, 2025, and has spent this fall as a studio analyst for CBS Sports.
Oct 11, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
How Brian Kelly is pitching himself to Maryland
Kelly spoke at length with Maryland officials through the first half of November and also met with them away from campus, USA TODAY Sports’ John Brice reported. Brice reported that Kelly laid out a roster plan for turning the Terrapins into a team that competes in the upper half of the Big Ten, and that he has already talked with potential assistants, general managers and front-office staff so he can assemble a staff quickly once hired.
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Brice also pointed to Kelly’s long relationship with Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, a former Maryland football player whose company outfits both the Terrapins and Notre Dame and signs young athletes to NIL deals. For a program that needs to rebuild a roster in a hurry, a candidate with that connection already in place has a head start on the money side of the job.
In late October, while speaking with Danny Kanell on College Sports on SiriusXM, Kelly broke down the three Power 4 openings at the time, Maryland, NC State and Baylor, and singled out what Maryland offers.
“From a conference standpoint, the Big Ten has obviously proved itself to have that kind of appeal, right, with Maryland. It is a fertile recruiting area; there’s no doubt. That DMV area is a really good recruiting area. I think that they’ve done great things in terms of upgrading facilities,” Kelly said.
What Brian Kelly’s LSU buyout means for a Maryland deal
LSU confirmed last November that Kelly was fired without cause and owes him about $54 million, paid in monthly installments through 2031. His contract carries an offset clause, so salary from a new coaching job reduces what LSU has to pay.
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Those installments run about $800,000 a month. Unless Maryland paid Kelly more than that, his salary in College Park would come off LSU’s bill rather than add to his own income. Kelly sued LSU last fall to secure the full amount, so he is already getting paid. The staff calls, the roster plan and the off-campus meetings all point to a coach who wants the job itself, and he has worked at Maryland’s opening since the first week of the search.
Jul 16, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly talks to the media during SEC Media Day at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
“This is not, you know, a mini commercial for Brian Kelly. This is just, you know, giving you the understanding of what it’s been like. I want to listen to opportunities if they’re available and if the fit is right,” Kelly said on SiriusXM on Nov. 10.
Maryland would get a coach with nearly 300 career wins and Notre Dame’s all-time victories record, while Kelly gives up little financially by accepting whatever number the Terrapins can offer.
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When Locksley was fired, Nakos also listed Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Indiana coordinators Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan as candidates to watch.
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The post Brian Kelly reportedly interviews for Maryland job as former LSU HC makes his pitch appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
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