Maryland Defense Gets New Leadership as Terps Enter Their Bye Week
The Maryland defense will come out of the bye week under new leadership. Head coach Michael Locksley has relieved defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino of his duties, the university announced on October 18th.
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will serve as defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season, with inside linebackers coach Zac Spavital becoming co-defensive coordinator. The change gives the Terps a week without a game to regroup before Illinois visits College Park.
Rutgers loss sets the backdrop
Maryland’s official announcement followed a 37–30 homecoming loss to Rutgers. The result dropped the Terps to 2–5 overall and 0–4 in the Big Ten, leaving five regular-season games to alter the direction of their season.
According to the university’s game recap, Maryland led 23–13 at halftime before Rutgers scored 17 unanswered points in the second half. Scarlet Knights quarterback Dylan Lonergan threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, while KJ Duff caught nine passes for 113 yards and two scores.
The Terps produced offense of their own: Malik Washington passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Durr Jr. finished with six catches for 104 yards. But that production was not enough to protect the halftime advantage.
Illinois kickoff is set
Monday brought a firm schedule update for Maryland’s return. The October 31st game against Illinois will kick off at noon on FS1 at SECU Stadium, the school announced. It will be Maryland’s first home game on Halloween since 1992.
The teams are 2–2 in their all-time series, and Illinois has not visited College Park since 2023. The break now separates a disappointing homecoming finish from another conference opportunity in front of the home crowd.
For context on the matchup that preceded the coaching move, revisit PowerPage’s Maryland–Rutgers preview. The assignment for the new defensive leadership is immediate: use the available preparation time to put a more dependable performance on the field when the schedule resumes.
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