List of Maryland Terrapins football seasons

The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). In its 130 active years, the team has played in over a thousand games, including 28 post-season bowl game appearances. The Terrapins have been awarded 2 national championships, 11 conference champions, and 17 times received a final ranking in the Associated Press (AP) Poll.[1] Maryland is the only Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team to have twice secured three consecutive outright conference championships. Many Maryland alumni have continued their playing careers in professional football, including Randy White, Boomer Esiason, Shawne Merriman, Dick Modzelewski, and Stan Jones.[2]

The modern Maryland Terrapins football program traces its beginning to the team first formed by quarterback Will Skinner in 1892 at what was then known as the Maryland Agricultural College. Since then, the Terrapins (commonly known as the "Terps") have experienced their most success under head coaches Jim Tatum, Jerry Claiborne, Bobby Ross, and Ralph Friedgen.

Between 1947 and 1955, Jim Tatum led the Terps to two national championships, two ACC championships, a Southern Conference championship, and five bowl game appearances. In 1952, Maryland quarterback Jack Scarbath was the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player.[3] The next year, coach Tatum led the team through an undefeated regular season. This resulted in Maryland being awarded the 1953 National Championship.

During Jerry Claiborne's tenure, from 1972 to 1981, the team captured three consecutive ACC championships and made seven bowl game appearances, the most of any Maryland coach to date. In Bobby Ross's five years at Maryland, from 1982 to 1986, he led the team to three consecutive ACC championships and four bowl appearances. In 1984, quarterback Frank Reich led the team to victory from a 31–0 halftime deficit against Miami in what was then the greatest comeback in NCAA football history.[4][5] This period was marked by bitter competition for ACC primacy with 1981 national champions Clemson, and between 1974 and 1988, each team won six conference championships.

In 1986, when Maryland basketball star Len Bias suffered a drug overdose, it sent a ripple-effect through the athletic department. Bobby Ross said that he was offended by unfounded "innuendo, insinuation and guilt by association" aimed at the football team and resigned as head coach. In the following fourteen years, Maryland had two winning seasons and appeared in one bowl game.[6]

In 2001, Ralph Friedgen took over a Maryland team that had one winning season in the past decade, and led them to an ACC championship and a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game in his first season. In the following two years, Friedgen became the only ACC head coach to have led his team to win ten games in each of his first three seasons. In his ten-year tenure, Friedgen led the Terrapins to seven bowl appearances. In his last year, Maryland concluded the 2010 season with a 9-4 record, a win in the Military Bowl, and a top 25 national ranking.

Seasons

YearCoachOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffsCoaches#AP°
William W. Skinner (Independent) (1892)
1892William W. Skinner0–3
Samuel Harding (Independent) (1893)
1893Samuel Harding6–0
J. G. Bannon (Maryland Intercollegiate Football Association) (1894)
1894J. G. Bannon4–32–2
1895No team
Grenville Lewis (Maryland Intercollegiate Football Association) (1896)
1896Grenville Lewis6–2–21–0–1
John Lillibridge (Maryland Intercollegiate Football Association) (1897)
1897John Lillibridge2–40–3
Frank Kenly (Independent) (1898)
1898Frank Kenly2–5–1
S. S. Cooke (Independent) (1899)
1899S. S. Cooke1–4
F. H. Peters (Independent) (1900)
1900F. H. Peters3–4–1
Emmons Dunbar (Independent) (1901)
1901Emmons Dunbar1–7
D. John Markey (Independent) (1902–1904)
1902D. John Markey3–5–2
1903D. John Markey7–4
1904D. John Markey2–4–2
Fred K. Nielsen (Independent) (1905–1906)
1905Fred K. Nielsen6–4
1906Fred K. Nielsen5–3
Charles W. Melick (Independent) (1907)
1907Charles W. Melick3–6
William Lang (Independent) (1908–1909)
1908William Lang3–8
1909Lang & Larkin2–5
Royal Alston (Independent) (1910)
1910Royal Alston4–3–1
Charley Donnelly (Independent) (1911)
1911Charley Donnelly[n 1]4–4–2
Curley Byrd (Independent) (1911–1916)
1912Curley Byrd6–1–1
1913Curley Byrd6–3
1914Curley Byrd5–3
1915Curley Byrd6–3
1916Curley Byrd6–2
Curley Byrd (South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1917–1921)
1917Curley Byrd4–3–12–1–1T–4th
1918Curley Byrd4–1–12–0–1T–2nd
1919Curley Byrd5–44–12nd
1920Curley Byrd7–24–02nd
1921Curley Byrd3–5–12–2–1T–7th
Curley Byrd (South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1922–1934)
1922Curley Byrd4–5–11–2T–11th
1923Curley Byrd7–2–12–1T–8th
1924Curley Byrd3–3–31–2–116th
1925Curley Byrd2–5–10–4T–20th
1926Curley Byrd5–4–11–3–117th
1927Curley Byrd4–73–515th
1928Curley Byrd6–3–12–3–1T–14th
1929Curley Byrd4–4–21–3–117th
1930Curley Byrd7–54–2T–6th
1931Curley Byrd8–1–14–1–15th
1932Curley Byrd5–62–416th
1933Curley Byrd3–71–49th
1934Curley Byrd7–33–1T–3rd
Jack Faber (Southern Conference) (1935)
1935Jack Faber7–2–23–1–13rd
Frank Dobson (Southern Conference) (1936–1939)
1936Frank Dobson6–54–25th
1937Frank Dobson8–23–01st
1938Frank Dobson2–71–212th
1939Frank Dobson2–70–114th
Jack Faber (Southern Conference) (1940–1941)
1940Jack Faber2–6–10–1–112th
1941Jack Faber3–5–11–2T–11th
Clark Shaughnessy (Southern Conference) (1942)
1942Clark Shaughnessy7–21–2T–12th
Clarence Spears (Southern Conference) (1943–1944)
1943Clarence Spears4–52–02nd
1944Clarence Spears1–7–11–16th
Bear Bryant (Southern Conference) (1945)
1945Bear Bryant6–2–13–25th
Clark Shaughnessy (Southern Conference) (1946)
1946Clark Shaughnessy3–62–512th
Jim Tatum (Southern Conference) (1947–1952)
1947Jim Tatum7–2–23–2–1T–6thT Gator
1948Jim Tatum6–44–26th
1949Jim Tatum9–14–02ndW Gator14
1950Jim Tatum7–2–14–1–15th
1951Jim Tatum10–05–0T–1stW Sugar43
1952Jim Tatum7–20–0[n 2][n 2]1313
Jim Tatum (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1953–1955)
1953Jim Tatum10–13–0T–1stL Orange11
1954Jim Tatum7–2–14–0–12nd118
1955Jim Tatum10–14–0T–1stL Orange33
Tommy Mont (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1956–1958)
1956Tommy Mont2–7–10–3–14th
1957Tommy Mont5–54–33rd
1958Tommy Mont4–63–35th
Tom Nugent (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1959–1965)
1959Tom Nugent5–54–23rd
1960Tom Nugent6–45–23rd
1961Tom Nugent7–33–3T–3rd
1962Tom Nugent6–45–23rd
1963Tom Nugent3–72–55th
1964Tom Nugent5–54–3T–3rd
1965Tom Nugent4–63–3T–3rd
Lou Saban (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1966)
1966Lou Saban4–63–3T–3rd
Bob Ward (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1967–1968)
1967Bob Ward0–90–68th
1968Bob Ward2–82–57th
Roy Lester (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1979–1971)
1969Roy Lester3–73–3T–3rd
1970Roy Lester2–92–4T–6th
1971Roy Lester2–91–58th
Jerry Claiborne (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1972–1981)
1972Jerry Claiborne5–5–13–2–13rd
1973Jerry Claiborne8–45–12ndL Peach1820
1974Jerry Claiborne8–46–01stL Liberty1313
1975Jerry Claiborne9–2–15–01stW Gator1113
1976Jerry Claiborne11–15–01stL Cotton118
1977Jerry Claiborne8–44–2T–3rdW Hall of Fame Classic
1978Jerry Claiborne9–35–12ndL Sun20
1979Jerry Claiborne7–44–2T–2nd
1980Jerry Claiborne8–45–12ndL Tangerine
1981Jerry Claiborne4–6–14–23rd
Bobby Ross (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1982–1986)
1982Bobby Ross8–45–12ndL Aloha2020
1983Bobby Ross8–45–11stL Florida Citrus
1984Bobby Ross9–36–01stW Sun1112
1985Bobby Ross9–36–01stW Cherry1918
1986Bobby Ross5–5–12–3–15th
Joe Krivak (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1987–1991)
1987Joe Krivak4–73–35th
1988Joe Krivak5–64–3T–4th
1989Joe Krivak3–7–12–56th
1990Joe Krivak6–5–14–34thT Independence
1991Joe Krivak2–92–56th
Mark Duffner (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1992–1996)
1992Mark Duffner3–82–68th
1993Mark Duffner2–92–6T–7th
1994Mark Duffner4–72–67th
1995Mark Duffner6–54–4T–5th
1996Mark Duffner5–63–5T–6th
Ron Vanderlinden (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1997–2000)
1997Ron Vanderlinden2–91–78th
1998Ron Vanderlinden3–81–7T–8th
1999Ron Vanderlinden5–62–6T–8th
2000Ron Vanderlinden5–63–5T–6th
Ralph Friedgen (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2001–2010)
2001Ralph Friedgen10–27–11stL Orange1011
2002Ralph Friedgen11–36–2T–2ndW Peach1313
2003Ralph Friedgen10–36–22ndW Gator2017
2004Ralph Friedgen5–63–5T–8th
2005Ralph Friedgen5–63–5T–4th (Atlantic)
2006Ralph Friedgen9–45–3T–2nd (Atlantic)W Champs Sports
2007Ralph Friedgen6–73–5T–5th (Atlantic)L Emerald
2008Ralph Friedgen8–54–4T–3rd (Atlantic)W Humanitarian
2009Ralph Friedgen2–101–76th (Atlantic)
2010Ralph Friedgen9–45–3T–2nd (Atlantic)W Military2423
Randy Edsall (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2011–2013)
2011Randy Edsall2–101–76th (Atlantic)
2012Randy Edsall4–82–65th (Atlantic)
2013Randy Edsall7–63–55th (Atlantic) L Military
Randy Edsall (Big Ten Conference) (2014–2015)
2014Randy Edsall7–64–43rd (East)L Foster Farms
2015Randy Edsall[n 3]3–9[n 3]1–7[n 3]T–6th (East)
D. J. Durkin (Big Ten Conference) (2016–2017)
2016D. J. Durkin6–73–65th (East)L Quick Lane
2017D. J. Durkin4–82–76th (East)
Matt Canada (Big Ten Conference) (2018)
2018Matt Canada[n 4]5–73–65th (East)
Mike Locksley (Big Ten Conference) (2019–present)
2019Mike Locksley3–91–86th (East)
2020Mike Locksley2–32–34th (East)
2021Mike Locksley7–63–65th (East)W Pinstripe
2022Mike Locksley8–54–54th (East)W Mayo
2023Mike Locksley8–54–54th (East)W Music City
Total:670–619–43
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

References