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Maryland football coach Michael Locksley is turning to a new voice on offense.
The Terps are set to hire Clint Trickett as offensive coordinator, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday. Trickett, 34, joined Arkansas as quarterbacks coach in December but instead plans to come to College Park to replace Pep Hamilton after one uneven season running Maryland’s offense. The two sides are finalizing Trickett’s contract.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for Locksley, whose program is searching for traction after back-to-back 1-8 Big Ten finishes. Maryland ranked 95th nationally in scoring last season at 23.5 points per game.
Quarterback Malik Washington threw for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns but led the Big Ten in attempts, often carrying an offense forced to lean heavily on the pass.
Maryland’s run game has regressed for multiple seasons and bottomed out last year when the Terps recorded the Big Ten’s fewest rushing yards (1,252) and second-fewest rushing touchdowns (nine). Reestablishing balance could be one of Trickett’s first priorities.
Trickett coordinated Jacksonville State’s offense in 2025, when the Gamecocks averaged more than 408 yards per game — third in Conference USA. They leaned on a rushing attack that ranked among the most productive in the country, tallying over 240 yards per game. Jacksonville State went 9-5 and capped its season with a Salute to Veterans Bowl win.
His move is notable given its timing. Trickett accepted his assistant coaching job at Arkansas in December and was preparing for spring practice before opting to return to a play-calling role at Maryland.
Hamilton was entering the second year of a three-year contract worth roughly $1 million annually. The university has not confirmed whether he will remain on staff in another role.
Trickett becomes the fifth offensive coordinator of Locksley’s tenure as he enters his eighth season. The longest stretch under a single play-caller lasted two years — first with Dan Enos from 2021-22, then with Josh Gattis and Kevin Sumlin serving as co-offensive coordinators before Pep Hamilton’s hire last offseason.
Trickett previously spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Marshall with average results, ranking outside the top 10 in the Sun Belt in scoring offense in both 2022 and 2023. He was fired after the 2023 season.
He also coached at Florida Atlantic under Lane Kiffin, helping develop Mackey Award winner Harrison Bryant, and served as tight ends coach and pass game coordinator at Georgia Southern in 2024. He began his coaching career at East Mississippi Community College.
The 34-year-old started his playing career at Florida State before transferring to West Virginia, where he threw for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014 and became a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist. He medically retired after multiple concussions. His father, Rick Trickett, is a longtime offensive line coach whose résumé includes stops at West Virginia, LSU, Auburn and Florida State.
Maryland lost its top three receivers to graduation this offseason but returns tight end Dorian Fleming, who had 40 catches for 351 yards and three touchdowns. The Terps also brought back tight end Preston Howard, who spent last season at Auburn, and three receivers through the transfer portal. Only one of them, Independence Community College transfer Ejani Shakir, would have led last year’s Maryland roster with 724 receiving yards.
Running back DeJuan Williams also returns after rushing for 501 yards and three touchdowns. He’s joined by USC transfer Harry Dalton, who logged eight carries in 2025.
With Washington expected to lead an unproven offense next season, Locksley is betting that Trickett can deliver a reset.
After consecutive losing conference seasons, Maryland enters 2026 needing progress.
Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes.
Continue reading...
The Terps are set to hire Clint Trickett as offensive coordinator, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday. Trickett, 34, joined Arkansas as quarterbacks coach in December but instead plans to come to College Park to replace Pep Hamilton after one uneven season running Maryland’s offense. The two sides are finalizing Trickett’s contract.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for Locksley, whose program is searching for traction after back-to-back 1-8 Big Ten finishes. Maryland ranked 95th nationally in scoring last season at 23.5 points per game.
Quarterback Malik Washington threw for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns but led the Big Ten in attempts, often carrying an offense forced to lean heavily on the pass.
Maryland’s run game has regressed for multiple seasons and bottomed out last year when the Terps recorded the Big Ten’s fewest rushing yards (1,252) and second-fewest rushing touchdowns (nine). Reestablishing balance could be one of Trickett’s first priorities.
Trickett coordinated Jacksonville State’s offense in 2025, when the Gamecocks averaged more than 408 yards per game — third in Conference USA. They leaned on a rushing attack that ranked among the most productive in the country, tallying over 240 yards per game. Jacksonville State went 9-5 and capped its season with a Salute to Veterans Bowl win.
His move is notable given its timing. Trickett accepted his assistant coaching job at Arkansas in December and was preparing for spring practice before opting to return to a play-calling role at Maryland.
Hamilton was entering the second year of a three-year contract worth roughly $1 million annually. The university has not confirmed whether he will remain on staff in another role.
Trickett becomes the fifth offensive coordinator of Locksley’s tenure as he enters his eighth season. The longest stretch under a single play-caller lasted two years — first with Dan Enos from 2021-22, then with Josh Gattis and Kevin Sumlin serving as co-offensive coordinators before Pep Hamilton’s hire last offseason.
Trickett previously spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Marshall with average results, ranking outside the top 10 in the Sun Belt in scoring offense in both 2022 and 2023. He was fired after the 2023 season.
He also coached at Florida Atlantic under Lane Kiffin, helping develop Mackey Award winner Harrison Bryant, and served as tight ends coach and pass game coordinator at Georgia Southern in 2024. He began his coaching career at East Mississippi Community College.
The 34-year-old started his playing career at Florida State before transferring to West Virginia, where he threw for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014 and became a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist. He medically retired after multiple concussions. His father, Rick Trickett, is a longtime offensive line coach whose résumé includes stops at West Virginia, LSU, Auburn and Florida State.
Maryland lost its top three receivers to graduation this offseason but returns tight end Dorian Fleming, who had 40 catches for 351 yards and three touchdowns. The Terps also brought back tight end Preston Howard, who spent last season at Auburn, and three receivers through the transfer portal. Only one of them, Independence Community College transfer Ejani Shakir, would have led last year’s Maryland roster with 724 receiving yards.
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Running back DeJuan Williams also returns after rushing for 501 yards and three touchdowns. He’s joined by USC transfer Harry Dalton, who logged eight carries in 2025.
With Washington expected to lead an unproven offense next season, Locksley is betting that Trickett can deliver a reset.
After consecutive losing conference seasons, Maryland enters 2026 needing progress.
Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes.
Continue reading...
