These are tumultuous times for Maryland’s football program. Nothing better illustrates that than the school’s hiring of a new president this week. Wallace D. Loh will take over for the retiring C.D. Mote in November. Sometime in the next six months Loh must oversee the hiring of a new athletic director to replace Debbie Yow, who left for N.C. State this summer.
In previous administrative jobs at Colorado, Iowa, Texas, Michigan and Washington, Loh has had virtually no connection to athletics. Then again, few university presidents do — at least not directly. But he will at least bless the hiring, and in turn the new athletic director will determine the fate of coach Ralph Friedgen and coach-in-waiting James Franklin.
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So coming off a 2-10 season, it’s critical for Friedgen to post a quick turnaround. Four of the last six seasons have been sub-.500 for Maryland football. It is still a young team — almost two-thirds of the starters and primary backups from 2010 return. But if that becomes five of seven losing seasons, that’s more than enough ammunition for a new athletic director to bring in his or her own coach.
Those magical first three seasons of Friedgen’s tenure have long since lost their cache with fans and alumni. One serious complication: Franklin gets a $1 million buyout if he’s not named the next coach.
