When Maryland football takes the field this season, there's a peculiar dynamic playing out behind the scenes. The Terrapins' offense has a new play-caller, but the old one is still cashing checks that dwarf the new guy's salary.
Pep Hamilton, the 51-year-old former offensive coordinator, was reassigned to a "special assistant to the coach" role after just one year calling plays. His replacement, 35-year-old Clint Trickett, now holds the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach titles. Yet Hamilton is set to earn $1.25 million this season, while Trickett will make just $450,000.
That's nearly three times more for a coach who no longer calls plays. In the high-stakes world of college football, where every dollar is scrutinized, this salary structure raises eyebrows.
Hamilton's contract, signed when he was hired as offensive coordinator last year, is a complex, multi-layered deal. It includes a $550,000 base salary, plus supplemental income that started at $450,000 and jumped to $700,000 on January 1. It's set to increase by another $250,000 on January 1, 2027. He also received a $250,000 longevity payment for staying employed through February 16, 2026, with another $250,000 bonus possible if he remains through February 16, 2027.
Trickett's deal is far more straightforward: $450,000 this year and $500,000 in 2027, totaling $950,000 over two years. That's less than Hamilton is scheduled to earn this season alone.
Head coach Michael Locksley explained the unusual arrangement at media day in March, describing Hamilton's new role as a behind-the-scenes position focused on practice organization, football technology, and advance scouting. The goal is to free up Locksley, who plans to be more hands-on with the offense this season.
"Everybody that knows Pep knows Pep is like a lab rat. He's one of those guys that stays on top of the efficiency of how to organize," Locksley said. "He'll offer a lot of advice. He'll be able to work ahead of opponents, he'll be able to be at a lot of places and take some pressure off of me."
For fans watching from the stands, this might seem like an unusual way to spend a seven-figure salary—especially when the man now running the offense is earning a fraction of that. But in the complex world of college football contracts, sometimes the numbers don't tell the whole story. Hamilton's experience, which includes stints in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, clearly holds value for the Terrapins, even if it's no longer on the sideline with a play sheet in his hands.