Maryland defensive coordinator Todd Bradford will not return for a second season, the school announced Friday.
The much-maligned Bradford and Maryland agreed to a negotiated buyout of his contract, the school said. Bradford was due $700,000 in guaranteed compensation over the final two years of his contract. Maryland did not disclose the amount of the buyout.
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The move was not unexpected and continued a makeover of the Terrapins’ staff after coach Randy Edsall oversaw a disastrous 2-10 debut season last fall. Maryland changed offensive coordinators last month, replacing Gary Crowton with Mike Locksley.
Bradford was originally hired to coach inside linebackers after a stint as the defensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi. But former Maryland defensive coordinator Don Brown left for Connecticut in February, leaving Edsall with few options so late in the cycle.
He eventually promoted Bradford, who oversaw the worst Terp defense in nearly two decades.
Bradford and Edsall shifted several players to new positions, including linebacker David Mackall to defensive end and safety Kenny Tate to linebacker. But few players actually thrived in the scheme.
Injuries eventually ravaged the unit, with five opening week starters missing extended time with injuries and another (Mackall) suspended for the final month of the season.
That didn’t explain all of Maryland’s struggles. The Terps allowed at least 367 yards in every game, and authored an especially brutal stretch when it surrendered 500 yards in four out of six contests near the end of the season. In 10 seasons, former coach Ralph Friedgen’s teams allowed 500 yards on exactly four occasions.
Maryland finished the season ranked 102nd nationally in scoring defense, 108th in total defense and 111th in rushing defense. The Terps finished last in the ACC in the latter two categories.
—- Patrick Stevens
