Maryland coach adding Instagram show, 'domestic experience' during pandemic

When the coronavirus prompted universities to cancel in-person classes and sporting activities in March, the Maryland football program had finished its winter conditioning program and spring practice was set to begin two weeks later. The staff is now tasked with installing its systems through videoconferencing sessions as it prepares for the 2020 season, which is filled with uncertainty regarding how, when and whether it will take place.

To keep players engaged, Locksley said the coaches have structured meetings with 15 minutes of teaching, followed by a five-minute break. The offense played a "Jeopardy!"-style game that included categories such as "protections" and "pass concepts." Strength coaches have disseminated workouts and motivation through social media. Players would typically never go this long without seeing their coaches.

"For me being a hands-on, people-person head coach, I miss the daily interactions with our players and our coaching staff," Locksley said in a telephone interview. "It's been hard."

As a second-year head coach, Locksley is still in the early stages of developing his program. Two coaches joined the team's position staff - special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach George Helow, along with outside linebackers coach Brawley Evans, who was promoted from an analyst position - and Maryland still has a vacancy to fill on its staff after cornerbacks coach Cory Robinson left for a job with the New Orleans Saints.

The Terps brought in 12 early enrollees, freshmen who had hoped to get a head start on their acclimation to the college game, but they didn't get to go through spring practice. The team's focus has been on developing the players mentally.

"The biggest loss for us was just not being able to go out and get the physical reps of installing," Locksley said. "But instead of being concerned about what we didn't get, we've tried to saturate them with as much of the install and our systems on offense, defense and special teams that we can."

The football staffers meet within their respective departments each morning. They all come together for a 10:30 a.m. call. Various groups - from the athletic trainers to the equipment staff - provide updates to keep the program running smoothly. In the afternoons, players join the calls, meeting as they would with their units in the team facility.

Locksley's evenings consist of recruiting calls, and even during this time, the Terps have climbed to 13th in 247 Sports' national recruiting rankings for next year's class.

Twice a week, Locksley hosts an Instagram Live show called "Late Night With Locks," on which he has had guests such as Scott Van Pelt, an anchor for ESPN's "SportsCenter" and a Maryland graduate; former Maryland players Stefon Diggs and Vernon Davis; quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whom Locksley coached at Alabama; and professional athletes from local teams.

Here's a look at how Locksley's life beyond football has changed during the pandemic.

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Q. What have you added to your daily routine?

A. If you're asking your players to do certain things, then as coaches, we need to lead by example. I've taken on the challenge of developing a workout plan and being on schedule. I wake up in the morning, I usually do some form of cardio or lifting six days out of the week. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday is lifting with a little cardio. And then Monday, Wednesday, Friday is cardio.

I've also embarked on a second life in the media field, where I do a show on Tuesdays and Fridays on my Instagram Live. We call it "Late Night With Locks." I bring on former players, all things DMV-related - whether it's artists, Caps, Wizards, Ravens, Orioles - to create some content that keeps us in the forefront with these recruits in this area since we have their undivided attention and there's not a lot of things they can be doing. We're trying to stay relevant in that space to show the power of what the Maryland relationships are all about.

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Q. Who's helping you with your workout plan?

A. One of my close friends is a personal trainer - Myron Flowers, who works over at the St. James facility [in Springfield, Virginia]. Luckily for me, I have a gym here at the house that I'm able to go in. He has the ability to keep me accountable to getting up and doing it. He's been really persistent. I've been really consistent and haven't missed a day of training.

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Q. Who are your most ambitious picks for people you would like to come on "Late Night With Locks"?

A. I would say Lamar Jackson, John Wall, [Alex] Ovechkin, [rapper] Shy Glizzy, guys like that. I like all things DMV. John Wall would be an interesting conversation, just like Lamar Jackson and the year he had with the Ravens would be really, really interesting.

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Q. Have you learned anything new around the house?

A. When this pandemic hit, my wife had flown down to Florida, where we have a place. She met my daughter, who's a soccer player at Auburn, for the end of her spring break. That's when everything kind of hit the fan here. They wound up down there in Florida, so I've been here solo for the most part.

I've had the task of having to learn the washing machine. They're not like the washing machines I grew up with, where you just put the soap on top, turn it on and pull a knob up. These fancy ones, you've got to know which slot the stuff goes into. I had no clue where to put the detergent in the fancy washer that we have because there are like three different slots. I had to FaceTime her to figure that out.

Then I had to figure out how to use the dishwasher. I grew up in the age where I was the dishwasher. I had to figure out how to load the soap in a little dispenser there. I've gained an appreciation for the amount of work it takes to keep up the home and still find time to fix something to eat and cook for myself and grill out. I've picked up a lot of domestic experience being quarantined here by myself.