With recruiting for the 2023 class in full swing and spring practices fast approaching, head coach Michael Locksley has finalized his coaching staff for the upcoming season. While there wasn’t any wholesale turnover, there’ll be a handful of new faces at key positions when Maryland takes the field. After finishing with the third-worst defensive unit in the conference last year, the staff on that side of the ball will look particularly different in 2022.
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Williams Promoted to Defensive Coordinator
Longtime collegiate defensive coordinator Kevin Steele verbally accepted Locksley’s offer to join him in College Park and even began moving into his office before spurning Maryland for an offer from Mario Cristobal at Miami (FL). This would’ve been a significant hire, as Steele is widely considered to be one of the best defensive minds in college football. But after he pulled a similar stunt to the one that Josh Gattis did when Locksley first arrived on campus (and incidentally, Gattis is the new offensive coordinator for the Hurricanes), the head coach opted to look internally for his new defensive play-caller.
Brian Williams has been a member of Locksley’s coaching staff since 2019, first as an outside linebackers coach for a year before transitioning to the defensive line. He was promoted to co-defensive coordinator before last season as a reward not only for his work on the field but on the recruiting trail. He’s consistently ranked as one of the best recruiters in the country, and his connections in the state of Florida have landed Maryland a number of high-profile recruits over the course of the last few seasons.
Williams took over defensive play-calling duties from Brian Stewart for the final two games of the 2021 season, in which the Terrapins allowed an average of just 13 points and less than 300 total yards. Choosing him to take over these duties on a full-time basis next season is a major vote of confidence from Locksley, but it was likely going to happen sooner or later. While missing out on Steele certainly isn’t ideal, Williams is by no means a bad second option.
Brewer Hired as Wide Receivers Coach
For the second straight year, Maryland lost its wide receivers coach to an ACC program. Joker Phillips left for N.C. State after the 2020 season, and Zohn Burden accepted a job with Duke earlier this year. Locksley didn’t bat an eye however, and hired Gunter Brewer, who is widely considered to be one of the best in the country at what he does. He’s coached three Biletnikoff Award finalists during his career (Justin Blackmon, Dez Bryant, and Randy Moss), and brings more than three decades of experience with him to College Park.
Brewer will also serve as the team’s passing game coordinator, and will be tasked with coaching what will likely be one of the best groups of wide receivers in the conference. Dontay Demus, Jr. returns from injury and Jacob Copeland comes north from Florida to join Rakim Jarrett and Jeshaun Jones. Brewer’s track record of development will be massively beneficial to all of the team’s pass-catchers, particularly the handful with likely professional futures ahead of them.
Thompson and Neighbors Round Out the Staff
With remaining vacancies for inside linebackers and safeties coaches after the departures of Brawley Evans and Stewart, Locksley tabbed Lance Thompson and Wes Neighbors for those jobs, respectively. Thompson is known as an extremely accomplished recruiter, and has spent time as a defensive assistant at Alabama, Auburn, FAU, Georgia Tech, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, and UCF.
Neighbors is a former Alabama safety who comes to Maryland from Louisiana. After graduating, he spent a number of years on Nick Saban’s staff before coaching at FAU and USF. He served as the Ragin’ Cajuns’ interim defensive coordinator after Billy Napier left for Florida. He overlapped with Locksley in Tuscaloosa and coached with Thompson in Boca Raton. He’s also considered to be a top-notch recruiter, and will bolster the program’s reach in the southern states.
The Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Michael Locksley
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach: Dan Enos
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach: Mike Miller
Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach: Gunter Brewer
Running Backs Coach: Elijah Brooks
Offensive Line Coach: Brian Braswell
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach: Brian Williams
Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach: Ron Zook
Inside Linebackers Coach: Lance Thompson
Cornerbacks Coach: Henry Baker
Safeties Coach: Wes Neighbors
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.