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Richmond just lost its star kicker to Maryland, and Spiders head coach Russ Huesman isn’t pulling any punches about how it went down.
Huesman blasted Maryland on Tuesday, directly accusing the Terrapins of tampering to lure Sean O’Haire away from Richmond after spring practice had already concluded, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The coach claims Maryland essentially bought his kicker’s services.
“They came in, they tampered,” Huesman fired off to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “The kid had zero interest in transferring, they offered him money. It happens all over the country and there’s nothing the NCAA’s going to do about it. So, Maryland just decided to come in. They liked our kicker and offered him $50,000… It’s ridiculous, pretty frustrating.”
O’Haire was perfect last season as a true freshman, connecting on all 12 field goal attempts including three from beyond 45 yards. The Irish-born kicker had never played American football before joining Richmond.
This wasn’t a case of a player looking for greener pastures.
What makes the situation particularly bitter for Richmond is that O’Haire had just participated in the Spiders’ April 5 spring game before committing to Maryland on May 3. Because he appeared in only four regular-season games plus one postseason contest last fall, he preserved his redshirt status and still has four full years of eligibility remaining.
The 20-year-old from Kildare, Ireland represents a significant loss for Richmond’s special teams unit. Huesman made it clear he doesn’t blame O’Haire for the move, instead directing his frustration elsewhere.
“He’s got an unbelievable future,” Huesman said. “This was not on him. This was on Maryland. This was on (O’Haire’s) handlers. It was on a lot of other people that I’m not real happy with.”
The Richmond coach didn’t mince words about what he’d do if he crossed paths with Maryland’s coaching staff, either. Huesman stated plainly that if he saw Maryland coach Mike Locksley or any of his assistants, he would “tell them I don’t appreciate it.”
This transfer highlights the ongoing tensions in college football’s NIL era, where smaller programs constantly risk losing developed talent to power conference schools with deeper pockets.
Huesman’s Spiders have been on a roll lately, capturing back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association championships and making three consecutive FCS Playoff appearances. Meanwhile, Maryland stumbled to a disappointing 4-8 record last season in Locksley’s sixth year at the helm — perhaps explaining why the Terrapins are shopping for proven special teams talent from the FCS ranks.
