When offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was passed over for Maryland’s football head coaching position after serving as interim coach for the last six games of the 2015 season, much of it had to do with how impressive a candidate DJ Durkin appeared to be.
Still, one of the reasons Durkin, the then-relatively unknown Michigan defensive coordinator, emerged as the favorite and was hired also had to do with what happened during Locksley’s three seasons as head coach at New Mexico.
It was not just Locksley’s coaching record there — back-to-back 1-11 seasons followed by an 0-4 start in 2011.