In the aftermath of the Jordan McNair saga, one of the most important tasks Maryland’s new head coach Mike Locksley will have to accomplish is rebuilding the trust the program had with the local high school coaches. Some of the most influential high school coaches from around the region give their reactions to the announcement that Locksley will be the new head coach at Maryland.
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Elijah Brooks, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha:
“Coach Locksley is the perfect person to galvanize our area. He is the ‘DMV’. He has earned his reputation by being genuine to players, coaches and families for many years. It will get very interesting for the foreseeable future.”
Albie Crosby, Philadelphia (Pa.) Neumann-Goretti:
“I'm extremely excited. I believe that the University of Maryland has gotten the right man for the job. When coach Locksley was the OC he played a large part of the recruitment of DJ Moore. He was a guy that the whole family felt very comfortable with and now that he is back home I'm very sure that players in this region will strongly considered the Terps.”
Messay Hailemariam, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy:
“If ever there was a hire that made any sense for any university, it's this one. I have known and seen the caliber of coach and man that Mike is to his players and the DMV. I'm extremely excited for UMD and its future in football.”
Rob Hinson, Sicklerville (N.J.) Timber Creek:
“Lock is a real good dude. Maryland probably couldn’t have found a better guy to run their program no matter how hard they tried. I’m sure schools who have had recruiting success in the state of Maryland and the region will definitely feel the effect of his presence.”
Gabe Infante, Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s:
“Great hire for Maryland football. He will do a great job there.”
Loren Johnson, Highland Spring, Va.:
“It's great for Maryland. It provides stability and jump-starts their recruiting. Outside of that I'm not sure. It looks like a tough road but when they have played against the big boys of the Big Ten, they were competitive so there seems to be enough athletes to compete.”
John Kelly, North Potomac (Md.) Quince Orchard:
“I think it’s great for the state of Maryland and the whole DMV. Coach Locksley will do and awesome job.”
DaLawn Parrish, Upper Marlboro (Md.) Wise:
“It's a great day for Maryland football when we finally get a person that understands the culture and diversity of our state to lead the brand. A true home grown DMV person that wants to be at Maryland.”
Biff Poggi, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy:
“Glad he is back. He is a Maryland guy through and through. Mike told me years ago that Maryland was his dream job. Happy for him and his family. He will do a great job. There is a lot to build on.”
Henry Russell, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy:
“It seems to be the best choice Maryland could make. Mike is a local guy who has a great reputation with high school coaches in the area. Mike is a coach that players have respected and enjoyed playing for. He is a terrific offensive mind and he has shown that over the years. This was magnified this year with what he did breaking records at Alabama.
“Mike can understand what the Maryland students and community are going through with Jordan McNair as he lost his son last year. Mike has the ability to lead and bring the Maryland community back together while he continues to heal as does the Maryland football team.
“I think programs across the country just realized it’s going to be harder to come into the DMV and get the top student-athletes.”
Andy Stefanelli, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel:
‘I think it’s a good hire. Mike is a players coach who knows the DMV better than any coach out there. He has ties to UMD but not associated with any of the recent turmoil. It is a tall task but I think Mike can get it done.”
Hakeem Sule, Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh:
“I’m happy for the Locksley family. His daughter, Kori, graduated from McDonogh in 2017, so we are very happy to have him back in the area. You can already hear the buzz about coach Locksley from college and high school coaches, kids and parents. I played for Maryland from 2005-2009 and some of my former teammates seem to be excited about the hire through Facebook and conversations. I look forward to seeing him in the hallways in the near future.”
