Jets interview Marylands Mike Locksley in surprise twist to coaching search

If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: The Jets are leaving no stone unturned in their head coach search.Mike Locksley, the head coach at Maryland, interviewed Friday for the vacancy, the team announced.He is 35-67 as a head coach at the college level, including 32-36 over the last seven seasons at Maryland.Locksley, 55, previously interviewed for the Dolphins vacancy in 2022 before Mike McDaniel was hired.The Jets have interviewed seven candidates – including Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Friday as well – and have made requests to speak with at least nine more coaches.None of the other 15 candidates are from the college ranks or as out of the blue as Locksley, though the Jets are the only team currently expected to speak with eight people on their list, including interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.Locksley ended up on the Jets’ radar because of a reputation fostered as a strong program culture-builder in the Big Ten during his second stint calling the shots.Locksley’s first head coach stint resulted in a disastrous 2-26 record at New Mexico during a three-year tenure (2009-11) that included an altercation with an assistant coach and an age and sex discrimination lawsuit that was later withdrawn, according to reports.Locksley was interim head coach at Maryland for six games in 2015 and later returned as the school’s full-time head coach after a stop at Alabama.He actually followed Giants head coach Brian Daboll as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2018.The 2018 Crimson Tide set single-season records for points scored and total offense with quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones, running backs Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris, Brian Robinson Jr.

and Damien Harris, and receivers DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs – nine of whom became first-round draft picks.The season earned Locksley the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.The 33rd Team think tank is helping identify and vet candidates, w...