Report: New York Jets interviewing Maryland head coach Mike Locksley for coaching job

The New York Jets are examining all avenues as it pertains to their coaching search, and Maryland head coach Mike Locksley has caught their attention, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Locksley, the leader of the Terrapins since 2019, who also spent time with Alabama as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator, will interview for the gig on Friday. He’s the latest in a long list of names, as the Jets are giving the 55-year-old coach a chance to make his case to lead them out of the darkness and into the light.

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“Sources: The #Jets are spending a portion of today interviewing #Maryland HC Mike Locksley, as the former #Bama OC and current Terps coach gets his another NFL interview,” Rapoport posted on X. “NYJ’s expansive search has left no stone unturned, taking a look at a leader and culture-setter in college.”

Locksley has been a college coach since 1992, when he started as an assistant at his alma mater of Towson. Since becoming a head coach with Maryland, he’s accumulated a record of 35–67, which featured three consecutive bowl victories before a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2024.

Perhaps Locksley isn’t your consummate college candidate for NFL jobs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be the correct choice for the job. Regardless, the Jets are casting a wide net, interviewing candidates from Rex Ryan to Joe Brady, including former NFL coaches, current assistants and college leaders into their search.

Moreover, Locksley’s top competition for the job might be former Jets first round draft pick Aaron Glenn, who’s currently the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator. Glenn is a sought-after candidate, and in the past, he’s said he has a “soft spot in (his) heart for the team that gave (him) (his) first opportunity,” so there’s some merit to the potential marriage.

Glenn interviewed with the team on Thursday. With Locksley’s interview taking place on Friday, and the team already having spoken with the aforementioned Ryan and former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders leader Ron Rivera, there’s no telling the direction New York could head in 2025.

Regardless of whether Locksley gets the job or not, the New York Jets won’t be an easy fix. They have years of disfunction in their pocket, and a fanbase yearning to end the league’s longest playoff drought. It’ll be a tall task.