It says Freidgen accepted a buyout. In other words, Maryland paid Fridge a lot of money to walk away to avoid an ugly firing. From what I've read on this matter from a number of sports sites, after offensive coordinator James Franklin accepted the Vanderbilt job and took a high number of assistants with him, Maryland wanted no part of having Friedgen come back. I guess the higher ups on the athletic department were worried how well Friedgen would do after losing the assistants and they also weren't interested in working out an extension. That would've made Fridge a lame duck coach going into next season.
Let me sort this out. Friedgen leads a bum ass program from nothing to 7 bowl games and a BCS berth and ACC championship since he's been there. He lifted the program back to respectability, something not seen since the Boomer Esiason days. Not to mention he won ACC coach of the year twice, including this season. And this is how you reward him. Can him in the middle of bowl game preparations. I'm not saying he was Bear Bryant or anything but they could've kept him around for at least two more seasons. But what the hell do I know, maybe there's more to this than I know.
Maryland will be looking for a coach and right now all rumors are pointing toward former Texas Tech head boss Mike Leach. That would be a home run hire if they're able to land Leach. I can't confrm or deny the Leach rumor but that is what's being thrown out there right now.
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