Report: Maryland plans to fire Randy Edsall following Ohio State game

If one report is accurate, this weekend’s game against Ohio State will be Randy Edsall‘s last at Maryland.

Citing multiple sources close to the situation, the 247Sports.com website InsideMDSports.com is reporting that Edsall “is unlikely to survive as Maryland’s football coach” beyond this Saturday’s game against OSU. The site writes that, "[b]arring an unexpected last-minute reversal, Maryland will part ways with Edsall when the floundering Terps enter their mid-season bye week.”

Just this past June, Edsall was on the receiving end of a three-year contract extension from the school as the Terps were coming off a 7-6 campaign in their first season in the Big Ten. This year, however, they’re gotten off to a 2-3 start, including losses the past two games to West Virginia and Michigan by a combined score of 73-6.

Edsall is in the midst of his fifth season in College Park, and the overall results have been decidedly disappointing. Under Edsall’s direction, the Terps have gone 22-33 overall and 10-23 in conference play (6-18 in ACC, 4-5 in Big Ten). Edsall is 0-11 vs. ranked teams in that span.

This is far from the first time Edsall has been rumored to be on the hot seat, but this is by far the closest he’s come to the coaching gallows.

As for the financial ramifications of a dismissal? That new deal signed earlier this year ensured that the hit the school would absorb would be, relatively speaking, mild. From the report:

Edsall’s contract was extended for three years in June -- a move aimed at stabilizing his public standing, especially with high school recruits -- but just $500,000 of the $7.5 million was guaranteed money; by firing Edsall before his original deal ends Jan. 15, 2017, the school will have to pay him for the remainder of this season and an additional $2.6 million: $2.1 million for next year’s salary and that half-million buyout.

UPDATED 2:22 p.m. ET: In response to the report, the school would only state that “Randy Edsall is our football coach and he will be on sideline Saturday for Ohio State.” Not exactly the most comforting statement of support.