Terrapin Station
Fansided

Maryland Football: Off-Season Staff Changes

By Sean Cole

Dec 29, 2021; New York, NY, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley gestures during the second half of the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2021; New York, NY, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley gestures during the second half of the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Maryland Football finalizes Defensive Coaching Staff

Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley is glad that this part of the off-season is now over with, as it has been a strange off-season so far for the Terps, where is has seen a defensive coordinator hired and then the following week leaves the program just after being hired.

Kevin Steele was hired as Maryland Football’s new defensive coordinator, but Steele, who verbally agreed to join Locksley’s staff, had an office in College Park and interacted with recruits, announced days later that he would be leaving the program to take a similar position at Miami.

Now, with all the behind them, today Locksley announced that Brian Williams has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator of the Terrapin football program. Locksley also announced the additions of Lance Thompson and Wes Neighbors to round out his defensive coaching staff. Thompson will serve as the Terps inside linebackers coach, while Neighbors will coach the safeties.

Williams, who has been with the Terps since Locksley’s first season in 2019, served as Maryland’s outside linebackers coach in 2019, the defensive line coach in 2020, and was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2021. He’ll continue to coach the defensive line unit. During Williams’ time in College Park, he has mentored All-Big Ten performers Sam Okuayinonu, Ami Finau, Mosiah Nasili-Kite, and current Cincinnati Bengal Keandre Jones.

Thompson arrives in College Park with a plethora of championship-level coaching experience, having served as a member of national championship coaching teams at Alabama, Georgia Tech, and LSU. He was a member of four SEC championship coaching staff, two ACC championship staff, and one Conference USA divisional winner.

Neighbors was a member of five national championship teams at Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2017) as both a player and staff member. Neighbors lands in College Park after serving as a position coach at Louisiana, South Florida, and Florida Atlantic. In all his previous stops, Coach Neighbors has been instrumental in turning around the secondaries at each school.

Home/Maryland Terrapins