Maryland has officially hired Ball State head coach Pete Lembo as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
Lembo joins former Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer and former Virginia head coach Mike London as former head coaches on DJ Durkin's staff. Lembo was head coach at Ball State for five years, and finishes his term with a record of 33-29 with two bowl appearances (both losses). He led the team to a 9-4 finish in his second year as head coach in 2012 and a 10-3 record in 2013, but went a combined 8-16 in 2014 and 2015.
"I'm really excited to be adding someone the caliber of Pete Lembo to my staff," Durkin said in a release. "Pete brings a great deal of experience as a head coach and a proven track record of success. He's been especially successful coaching special teams units and we'll immediately improve with him on board."
Lembo had been earning $514,250 annually at Ball State, so he's not going to be a cheap assistant hire.
"Lembo decided to make the move after dealing with frustration after years leading one of the most under-resourced programs in the MAC," according to Feldman.
From SB Nation's Hustle Belt, here's more on Lembo. He was previously the head coach at Lehigh and Elon, and this will be his first dip into a power-five conference as a coach.