Arizona Football rival Arizona State University won back the Territorial Cup in the final game of the regular season, but that wasn’t enough for their head coach Todd Graham to get fired.
I guess it can happen to any coach, whether their players adore them as in UCLA’s Coach Jim Mora, or they just won the coveted Territorial Cup against their rivals. Yes, Coach Todd Graham, ASU’s head coach got fired the day he kissed the silver trophy on camera.
How? Why? What the heck?
Arizona Wildcats Football
ASU Athletic Director Ray Anderson met with Graham Sunday morning to break the news. The day after the new UCLA Head Coach was announced, this was the next shoe to drop. Let NCAA Football coach roulette begin!
Graham, 46-31 overall at ASU, ended with a 7-5 overall and 6-3 Pac-12 record and his team is going to a Bowl Game. Great way to leave a program and get a better job? His team ended up in second place in the Pac-12 South, but the school wanted a Pac-12 Championship. There is only one of those though, and twelve schools.
The school’s statement from Arizona State vice president of athletics Ray Anderson included the following:
"“However, our athletic department, university and community expect our football program to compete on the field for Pac-12 titles, be competitively consistent and qualify to participate in major bowl games on a regular basis. In evaluating Todd’s body of work over a four-year period, it became clear that a change is necessary.”"
Coach Graham coached one season at Pittsburgh where he went 6-6, and the University of Tulsa before that for four seasons ending up 37-6 record.
ASU will be paying Graham about an $11 – $12+ million as a buyout.
Coach Graham will be allowed to stay on until after the bowl game. Arizona Wildcats fans will need to find a new coach to badger and it may not be Willie Taggart because there is talk he may go to Florida State, but who knows?
Chip Kelly is now the Bruins head coach. All his new peers, or former peers now peers again, are kind of shuttering when it comes to recruitment. Chip is now coaching in sunny California for one of the most premier educational institutions in the USA.
Who may replace Graham? Zach Alvira of Arizona Sports listed four possibilities:
- Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M head coach
- Derek Mason, Vanderbilt head coach
- Teryl Austin, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator
- Pep Hamilton, Michigan passing coordinator
Here is Graham’s post news press conference. “What incredible memories — I’m a bless man, there is no question about it,” he said.
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Perhaps one of the poignant things Graham told his seniors is a great way to end this post, “If you’re going to go out, this is a great way to go out.”