Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers.

[3] After his first season at Maryland, Nugent was fired as head coach, and his successor Lou Saban moved Friedgen to fullback to fill in for an injured teammate.

[4] After completion of his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1970, Friedgen served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, before later accepting positions on the staffs of The Citadel, William and Mary, and Murray State.

Friedgen returned to the University of Maryland in 1982 to serve as offensive coordinator under head coach Bobby Ross, who was his mentor during his tenure at The Citadel.

It was also during this time that the University of Maryland football program was a perennial top-20 team, winning three consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championships from 1983 to 1985 and appearing in prominent bowl games.

Following a sub-par 1986 season, and amidst an athletic department quagmire due in large part to the Len Bias incident, Friedgen followed Ross to Georgia Tech, a period lasting four years.

In 1992, Friedgen followed Ross again, this time to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, where he orchestrated an offense that led the franchise to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX.

During his second year, the Yellow Jackets were co-champions of the ACC, defeated Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, and ended the season ranked among the nation's top 10 teams.

Friedgen's tenure opened against North Carolina, and early in the first quarter, running back Willie Parker ran 77 yards for a touchdown.

Maryland then won nine of its remaining ten regular season games, including a come-from-behind homecoming victory against the Philip Rivers-led 15th-ranked NC State team.

Sports Illustrated credited a "stifling defense", dynamic special teams play, and an offense that thrived under quarterback Scott McBrien and a simplified playbook despite the loss of leading rusher Bruce Perry to injury.

Highlights included, on October 30, an upset of fifth-ranked Florida State to take away the first-ever Maryland win in that series, as well as the first defeat of a top-five team since 1982.

[10] The Baltimore Sun surmised that Friedgen would have repeated as ACC Coach of the Year had it not been for Wake Forest's impressive season under Jim Grobe.

Despite being outgained by every one of its eleven Division I FBS opponents, the Terrapins started the season 8–2, highlighted by a 28–26 victory over Virginia in which the team stormed back from a 20–0 halftime deficit to defeat the Cavaliers.

[13] At the end of summer training, and amidst some controversy, senior Jordan Steffy was named the starting quarterback over junior Chris Turner who had finished the 2007 campaign atop the depth chart.

[15] The following week, the Terrapins were beaten decisively by Middle Tennessee State, 24–14,[16] and some pundits predicted Friedgen was on the coaching "hot seat" and that his job was in peril.

The article also said that Friedgen "privately resented" the athletic department naming Franklin his successor, due to how it affects other members of the coaching staff.

[33] Despite this announcement, after offensive coordinator James Franklin accepted a job at Vanderbilt and offered positions to four other members of the staff,[34] Anderson did not answer questions about Friedgen's future on December 17.

[35] On December 18, 2010, it was reported in The Washington Post that the school was terminating him as head coach and offered a buyout of his remaining contract valued at $2,000,000.