From D. C. to the Field: Michael Locksley's Journey

Michael Locksley's story is more than just a football tale. It's about beating the odds and making a name for himself in a tough industry. He's been the head coach at the University of Maryland since 2019, but his path to get there wasn't easy. Locksley grew up in Washington, D. C. , and went to Ballou High School. He was a star athlete, and his skills on the football field got him into Towson University. There, he played defensive back and even won Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. But his journey didn't stop there. Before becoming the head coach at Maryland, Locksley worked at many different schools and held various positions. He started as a head coach at New Mexico in 2009, but that didn't last long. He then returned to Maryland as an offensive coordinator. In 2015, he became the interim head coach after Randy Edsall was let go. When Maryland didn't hire him permanently, Locksley didn't give up. He joined Nick Saban's Alabama team as an offensive analyst and quickly moved up to offensive coordinator. In 2018, he won the Broyles Award for being the best assistant coach in the nation. This award showed that he was one of the best offensive minds in the game. Locksley's ethnicity has played a big role in his career. He is African American and has faced many challenges because of it. In 2020, he started the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches. This group helps coaches of color get more opportunities in the hiring process. Locksley has also worked to support Black quarterbacks. He and Pep Hamilton created the QuarterBlack Symposium to help Black quarterbacks coaches connect and learn from each other. Locksley's upbringing in inner-city D. C. has shaped him in many ways. He has a strong sense of responsibility to give back to his community. He has shown this through his advocacy for minority coaches and his focus on mentorship. While he hasn't talked publicly about his religious beliefs, his actions show that he has a strong moral compass and a desire to help others.