Big Ten🛡️ Moderate Stability (3/5)

Mike Locksley

Head Football Coach • Maryland (Terrapins)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)

$13,395,417

15 months remaining (471 days)

Annual Salary

$6,100,000

Base + Supplemental Talent

Contract Expires

2027-12-31

Hired: 2018-12-04

Coach Leaves Buyout

$2,000,000

Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival

Daily Amortization

$14,196

Buyout drops each day

University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $13,395,417

Contract buyout as tracked by official reporting: $13,395,417.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments

Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)

Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$7,866,119

Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $2,000,000

If Mike Locksley accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2027-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$2,000,000

School Retention Leverage:Standard College Buyout

Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works

0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (3/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Moderate Stability. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability

Level 3 / 5

Moderate Stability

Standard Contract Terms • $13,395,417 Buyout Firewall

Standard Power Four buyout structure; financially painful but manageable with coordinated athletic department support.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by official reporting: $13,395,417.

Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)

The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)

Consensus Building

Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Mike Locksley

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

Select Coach (Alphabetical by School)

Mike LocksleySecure

Maryland • Big Ten • Contract thru 2027-12-31

Annual Salary

$6,100,000

Current Buyout (Today)

$13,395,417

Hypothetical Termination Date

Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (471 days remaining on contract)

Or pick any exact date:

Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16

$13,395,417

Official USA Today Verified Buyout

Savings by Delaying to This Date

Natural amortization saves $14,196 / day

If Coach Leaves Voluntarily

$2,000,000

Amount coach / hiring team owes Maryland

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)

Important: Mike Locksley's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Maryland is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $13,395,417. Data aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$2.59M.

Key Contractual Stipulations

•Multi-year term through 2027 season
•Performance-based annual bonus structure
•Standard university termination provisions
•Buyout obligations for coaching departure

Data aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

Maryland Head Coach Contract TermsMaryland Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13

View Source

FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, Maryland releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.

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