Terps Lock Down Head Coach

By Brad Kronthal

It has been coined “The Movement.” That being the recruiting pitch to keep Maryland recruits in their home state. On Tuesday, The University of Maryland invested in the man who started “The Movement,” by extending the contract of head coach Randy Edsall.

The Terps head coach signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him in College Park through the 2019 season. The terms of the contract were not disclosed in the official press release.

Maryland extends Randy Edsall's contract through 2019. (Courtesy of UMTerps.com) — Maryland extends Randy Edsall’s contract through 2019. (Courtesy of UMTerps.com)

“Randy has made good strides in our first year in the Big Ten and our program is headed in the right direction,” said Kevin Anderson, director of athletics. “We will look to continue to build upon what we have established with our goal of competing at the highest level in the Big Ten.”

The Terps have steadily risen in the win column after the controversial start of Edsall’s term where he saw numerous student-athletes bolt from the program for not abiding to his “my way or the highway” philosophy.

Since Edsall’s inaugural two win season in 2011, the Terps have had back-to-back bowl appearances. Managing an oft-injured roster, Edsall led the Terps to a successful 4-4 Big Ten record in their first season, including two road wins against border rival Penn State and Michigan.

“I’m extremely proud of the work my players and staff have put in to making our program what it is today,” said Edsall. “It is rewarding for me that Kevin Anderson and Dr. Wallace Loh have recognized this process in getting the program headed in the right direction.”

While the Terps look to build on their 2014 success this season, the true test will begin in 2016. Then, Edsall will have his prized Quarterback, Top-100 Quarterback commit, Dwayne Haskins leading the way. Edsall’s push to keep athletes from Maryland’s backyard at home has been working. He won commitments from five-star offensive lineman Damien Prince in 2014, one-time Penn State commit Adam McLean in 2015 and Haskins in 2016.

With the recruiting surge in place, Maryland made the wise move to extend its general. The public will see just how good of a coach Edsall is very soon as he will have the talent to compete with the big boys in the Big Ten.