Report: Mike Locksley to join Alabama Staff

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Former Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley is headed to the University of Alabama as an offensive analyst, AL.com reported.

Locksley, 46, spent the past four seasons as Maryland's offensive coordinator, spending the final six games of last season as interim head coach following Randy Edsall's midseason firing. New head coach D.J. Durkin spoke with Locksley about remaining on the staff in a new position, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement, and it became apparent in December he was unlikely to stay with the program. So Locksley began seeking work elsewhere. N.C. State, West Virginia, Pitt and Kentucky were rumored as possible landing spots, but he'll instead reportedly head to Tuscaloosa to work for Nick Saban and the defending national champions.

His arrival could strengthen the Crimson Tide's recruiting efforts in the Washington area; long known as perhaps the top recruiter of the area's talent, he joins a program that's signed several top prospects in Maryland's backyard in recent years, including Avalon School (Bethesda, Md.) receiver Trevon Diggs and St. John's (D.C.) defensive end Terrell Hall this year.

Locksley's move to Alabama equates to something of a trade between the two schools; Maryland hired Alabama staffer Aazaar Abdul-Rahim -- like Locksley, a District native with strong local recruiting ties -- in December, and he was integral in several of Durkin's signees in February, most notably four-star local offensive linemen Terrance Davis and Richard Merritt.

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