TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama offensive coordinator Michael Locksley was named Tuesday the winner of 2018 Broyles Award.
On Tuesday night, Maryland announced the hiring of Locksley as its new football coach.
“I am thrilled to be returning home and to have the opportunity to lead the Maryland football program,” Locksley said in a statement. “This has always been a special place for me and my family, and I am honored to take on this role at the state’s flagship institution. Our goal is to create an atmosphere and environment focused on the total development of our student-athletes. Our focus will always be to help them become more successful in all areas of their life through their association with our program.”
Locksley, 48, just finished his second season as a full-time assistant on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. It was his first season as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator. Alabama heads into the College Football Playoff ranked second nationally in scoring offense (47.9 points per game). The Crimson Tide broke school records for points (623), total offense (6,859 yards), offensive touchdowns (77), and passing yards (4,231).
According to a report on ESPN.com, Locksley will stay on at Alabama throughout the team’s run in the CFP.
His multi-year contract with Maryland will average in the range of $2.5 million annually, sources said.
This will be Locksley’s third stint at Maryland. He oversaw the running backs there from 1997 to 2002. He was the Terps’ offensive coordinator from 2012-15 and was named the team’s interim head coach for the last six games of 2015 after Randy Edsall was fired. He went 1-5 as Maryland’s interim head coach.
Locksley also was 1-15 for parts of three seasons from 2009 to 2011 as New Mexico’s head coach before being fired.
The Broyles Award has been presented annually since 1996 to the outstanding assistant coach in college football. Locksley joins former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart (2009) as the second Alabama coach to receive the honor.
n In related news, Alabama placed 12 players on the All-Southeastern Conference Coaches’ Team, the league office announced Tuesday.
The Crimson Tide led the way with 12 All-SEC selections, including five first-team honorees. This marks the 11th-consecutive season Alabama has led the conference in All-SEC picks.
Junior Jonah Williams and sophomores Jerry Jeudy and Tua Tagovailoa were first-team selections on offense, while redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and redshirt junior defensive back Deionte Thompson were named for first-team honors on defense. This year’s first-team honor is the second for Jonah Williams (2017).
Redshirt senior center Ross Pierschbacher was named to the second-team offense with senior running back Damien Harris, junior tight end Irv Smith Jr. and sophomore offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood. Senior defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, junior linebacker Mack Wilson and sophomore linebacker Dylan Moses were second-team choices on defense.
MSU has four players earn All-SEC honors from coaches
A second wave of postseason awards saw four Bulldogs named to the All-SEC Coaches Team.
Senior defensive end Montez Sweat and junior defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons earned spots on the first team, marking the second-consecutive season the duo has brought home first-team honors. They are the first defensive line teammates in MSU history to bring home back-to-back first-team laurels.
Senior safety Johnathan Abram and senior offensive lineman Deion Calhoun rounded out MSU’s accolades with spots on the second team. Abram is the first MSU’s safety to earn an All-SEC nod from the league’s coaches since Nickoe Whitley in 2013.
MSU’s four overall All-SEC selections were the program’s most since MSU had five honored in 2014.
Ole Miss’ Brown, Little earn All-SEC honors
Junior wide receiver A.J. Brown and junior offensive lineman Greg Little were named first-team All-SEC picks by the league’s 14 head coaches.
On Monday, the duo also collected first-team All-SEC honors from The Associated Press.
The SEC individual award winners will be announced Wednesday and the SEC All-Freshman Team will be released Thursday.
Southern Mississippi places 15 on Conference USA postseason squads
Southern Mississippi sophomores Quez Watkins and Jacques Turner lead 15 Golden Eagles named Tuesday to the All-Conference USA teams.
Watkins, a sophomore wide receiver from Athens, Alabama, and Turner, a redshirt sophomore defensive lineman from D’Iberville, earned first-team selections.
On the second team, sophomore defensive back Ky’el Hemby posted a season-best six interceptions for the Golden Eagles and finished second on the team in tackles with 51.
Senior kicker Parker Shaunfield joined him on the second team.
On the C-USA All-Freshman squad, center Trace Clopton (Brookhaven) was one of nine freshmen offensive lineman to start during opening week. Defensive lineman Tahj Sykes, of Columbus, and defensive back Shannon Showers also were recognized.
Offensive lineman Arvin Fletcher, wide receiver Tim Jones, tight end Jay’Shawn Washington, defensive lineman LaDarius Harris, linebacker Racheem Boothe, linebacker Sherrod Ruff, defensive back Picasso Nelson Jr., and defensive back Ty Williams earned honorable mention.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.