Maryland Football: Randy Edsall Earns Contract Extension

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Sep 27, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall on the field during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

The Maryland Terrapins football program is a good ways away from becoming a legitimate national championship contender, but they have made some progress under the reign of head coach Randy Edsall. Edsall’s hard work has paid off, as he was rewarded with a three-year contract extension with Maryland to keep him in College Park through 2019.

Edsall’s initial contract with the Terps was for five years and was set to expire after the 2016 season, but now he has three more seasons to prove why he was brought in back in 2011.

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It was a rough start for Edsall, who holds a 20-30 record in four seasons at Maryland. After the first two seasons under Edsall, the Terps were at a horrendous 6-18 record. Things were not looking good for Maryland and Edsall’s job appeared to be in jeopardy. Things began to turn around for Maryland football, however, in years three and four. In each of the following two seasons, the Terps finished with 7-6 records and made a bowl appearance.

While the Terps still have a losing record under Edsall’s direction, University of Maryland Athletic Director, Kevin Anderson, must have seen enough to offer him a contract extension.

"Randy has made good strides in our first year in the Big Ten and our program is headed in the right direction. He has established a culture in which our students have made strong progress academically with outstanding graduation rates.– Kevin Anderson, Maryland AD"

The Maryland football program has made strides since those painstaking first two years of the Edsall era. Edsall also has been a big influence on the ‘Movement,’ which aims to recruit the best local talent to stay home and play for Maryland. His first snag was standout wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who is now with the Minnesota Vikings. Edsall may have even topped himself, by reeling in Class of 2016 four-star quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr.

The recent recruiting success had to be one of the driving forces in the program deciding to retain Edsall for three more years. The Terps have gained some steam on the recruiting trail and they want to see how far it can actually go.

The progress has been slow, but that’s always better than no progress. With Edsall’s job secure, the football program should flourish even more.

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