Maryland football is close to bringing back a familiar face to run its special teams. Mike Locksley is expected to hire Matt Barnes as special teams coordinator, sources close to the situation told InsideMDSports. Barring a snag, Barnes would return to Maryland after most recently serving as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Mississippi State, where he spent the 2024 season working in the SEC.
Barnes previously held the same special teams coordinator title in College Park from 2016–18 under DJ Durkin, a period in which Maryland was consistently dangerous in the return game and fundamentally sound in the hidden-yardage areas. Under his watch in 2018, the Terps ranked 18th nationally in kickoff return average (23.9 yards) and third in the Big Ten, with Ty Johnson and Tavion Jacobs both averaging more than 25 yards per return and each returning a kickoff for a touchdown. Maryland also tied for 11th nationally in blocked punts and finished 39th in net punting, a notable jump for a program that had struggled for consistency on special teams in prior seasons.
He replaces Chili Davis, who left for a job with the Minnesota Vikings last week, days after he was promoted to replace last year's special teams coordinator Andre Powell, who was moved to running backs coach.
Since leaving Maryland, Barnes has continued to climb the coaching ladder. He spent three seasons at Ohio State, where his responsibilities expanded annually and included calling defensive plays late in the 2021 season. During his Ohio State tenure, the Buckeyes went 31–4, won three Big Ten titles and reached the College Football Playoff twice, while Barnes earned a reputation as a detail-oriented coach with a strong grasp of situational football.
Barnes then moved on to Memphis as defensive coordinator, producing some of the AAC's more efficient defensive units. In 2023, Memphis ranked among the national leaders on third and fourth down defense and forced turnovers at a high rate, while the 2022 Tigers finished top 10 nationally in interceptions and fewest penalties and capped the season with a bowl win. His résumé also includes stops at Michigan and Florida Gators, giving him experience in multiple elite programs and defensive systems.