Ralph Friedgen out at Maryland
ESPN.com news services
Maryland announced Monday afternoon that it has bought out the final year of Ralph Friedgen's contract and the coach will not return in 2011.
If Maryland's Ralph Friedgen takes the buyout or retires, he will be the fourth ACC coach to win coach of the year and not return the next season. Here's a list of coaches who have done it since 1978:
Yr. Coach Next Gig
'92 Bill Dooley, Wake Forest None
'89 Steve Spurrier, Duke Florida
'78 Charley Pell, Clemson Florida
Friedgen will be paid about $2 million.
Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is said to be a leading candidate to replace Friedgen as Maryland's coach, although Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson said that no candidates have been contacted yet.
Friedgen will coach the Terrapins in the Military Bowl Presented By Northrup Grumman on Dec. 29, against East Carolina, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad.
Leach has already had discussions with potential members of a Maryland coaching staff and has the strong support of Under Armour, the Baltimore-based athletic apparel company run by a former Maryland player, sources told Schad.
Maryland considered hiring Leach after last season but it would have cost too much to terminate the contracts of Friedgen and former coach-in-waiting James Franklin and hire Leach, a source told Schad.
Leach and Maryland were discussing a deal last year that could have paid him in the range of $2.5 million a season. It is believed Maryland will try to complete a deal with Leach as quickly as possible, a source said.