Maryland fires defensive coordinator Ted Monachino after fifth straight loss

Maryland has fired defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. Mike Locksley made the move Sunday, less than a day after a 37-30 home loss to Rutgers left the Terrapins 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten, On3 reported. Monachino also coached the outside linebackers, and he was in his second season in College Park.

Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will run the defense for the rest of the year, and Zac Spavital moves up to co-coordinator, according to On3. USA Today also reported the firing. Locksley said in a statement that "I believe this change is necessary," per On3. The Baltimore Sun noted that Maryland led Rutgers by 10 points at halftime and then lost. It's the first major staff change of a season that keeps getting worse.

The numbers made the case against Monachino. Maryland is giving up 33.3 points per game, the worst mark in the Big Ten, and 366.6 yards per game, which ranks 14th in the league, according to On3. The five-game losing streak is where it got out of hand. Maryland has allowed at least 35 points in all five losses: 35 to Virginia Tech, 54 to UCLA, 48 at Nebraska, 45 at Ohio State and 37 to Rutgers. That averages out to almost 44 points a game. In four conference games, the Terps have allowed 46 per game.

Monachino came to Maryland from North Carolina, where he coached the defensive line in 2024. Before that he spent years in the NFL, including two seasons (2016-17) as the Indianapolis Colts' defensive coordinator. The move also puts more pressure on Locksley. On3 put his record at 38-49 overall and 16-47 in Big Ten games since he returned in 2019. Maryland is 2-16 in league play since the start of 2024.

What it means for Illinois

The timing gives Abdul-Rahim time to make changes. Maryland is off this week and returns home to face Illinois on Saturday, October 31, so the new staff gets a full bye week to rework the defense before it calls a game. The season split shows how much needs fixing. Maryland won its first two games by a combined 100-14 over Hampton and UConn. Since then it has been outscored 219-98. The offense has scored at least 23 points in four of the five losses, but the defense has given up more every time. Abdul-Rahim's first job is getting the scoring allowed down to a level that offense can match. That starts against Illinois and continues through a November stretch that probably decides Locksley's future.

Rutgers got its first Big Ten win from the game that cost Monachino his job, and it now visits No. 24 Northwestern on October 24. Northwestern is favored by 15.5 points at Novig, which also has Northwestern at -669 and Rutgers at +614 on the moneyline. The best Rutgers spread anywhere is +16.5 at theScore Bet. The total is 58.5 at most of the 11 venues on the game board, with Pinnacle at 59. Sportsbook hold runs from 3.7% to 5.9% on the moneyline and 3.8% to 6.8% on the spread.