Todd Graham Position: Head Coach

In two years as Tulsa's head football coach, Todd Graham has done what no other Golden Hurricane coach before him had accomplished -- post back-to-back 10-win seasons. But, in his second season, Graham went one step further when his 2008 team became the first 11-win team in school history.

The Hurricane closed out the 2008 campaign with an 11-3 overall record after registering another lopsided victory in the GMAC Bowl over No. 22-ranked Ball State.

In his first two years as the Hurricane head coach, Graham has led his team to an overall 21-7 record, two C-USA West Division titles, two appearances in the C-USA Championship Game and two straight appearances in the GMAC Bowl. Graham has posted a three-year career collegiate mark of 28-13.

Tulsa's 10+ wins in back-to-back seasons is just the sixth and seventh times in school history that the Hurricane has posted 10 victories or more. The 2008 season was also the second straight year that the Hurricane led the nation in total offense.

In 2007, Tulsa had the nation's top offense as the Hurricane led the country in total offense with a 543.9 average per game, while setting 29 school records, 15 C-USA marks and four NCAA records. In 2008, the Hurricane averaged another nation-leading 569.9 yards per game, while scoring the second-most points nationally with a 47.1 average and also ranking fifth for rushing (268.0) and ninth for passing (301.8).

When the Tulsa head coaching position was vacant following the 2002 season, Todd Graham sent in his application. But it was not until five years later that Graham would take over the reigns as the Golden Hurricane head coach.

He did come to Tulsa for the 2003 season, but as the Hurricane assistant head coach and defensive coordinator under first-year coach Steve Kragthorpe. However, Graham's blueprint on the program was evident as he built one of the best defensive units in Conference USA and the nation before leaving the position following his third year at Tulsa.

After a year away, Graham was introduced as The University of Tulsa's new head football coach on January 12, 2007, becoming the 27th head football coach in Golden Hurricane history.

Following the 2005 campaign, Graham left the Tulsa program to become the head coach at Rice University a day after helping the Hurricane post an impressive win and outstanding defensive performance against Fresno State in the 2005 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. At Rice, he led the Owls to an overall 7-6 record and the school's first bowl berth in 45 years, thus earning Conference USA Coach of the Year honors.

Graham, 44, has played major roles in reversing the fortunes of struggling programs, starting with his first college coaching job at East Central University in Ada, Okla. His three seasons as the Tigers' defensive coordinator saw ECU improve from a break-even program to the NAIA national championship in 1993.

As head coach and athletics director at Allen (Texas) High School, Graham led a program that had no district wins in the year prior to his arrival to five playoff berths in six seasons.

At West Virginia University, under Head Coach Rich Rodriguez, Graham helped the Mountaineers improve from a 3-8 mark to a 9-4 record in his second season. At Tulsa under Kragthorpe, the Hurricane jumped from 1-11 in 2002 prior to his arrival, to an 8-4 record in '03. Both the WVU and Tulsa turnarounds were the best in NCAA Division I in those seasons.

Before receiving his first collegiate head coaching position at Rice, Graham spent three seasons on the Tulsa coaching staff as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, while also coaching the Hurricane safeties.

In each of his three seasons, Tulsa ranked among the nation's top-25 in pass defense and showed continual improvement in all areas defensively. Nationally, the Tulsa defense ranked third in takeaways and interceptions, 11th in pass defense efficiency, 17th in pass defense, 40th in total defense and 43rd in scoring defense for the 2005 campaign.

Graham spent two years as an assistant coach at West Virginia, while serving as co-defensive coordinator, defensive scheme coordinator and safeties coach in 2002, and where he coached the linebackers during the 2001 season. In 2002, the Mountaineer defense ranked 33rd nationally in total defense and 30th in rush defense. He helped WVU register a 9-4 record with wins over nationally ranked Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh in 2002.

Before his move back to the collegiate ranks, Graham was highly successful at Allen High School in his six years (1995-2000). His teams made five playoff appearances and won two bi-district championships. He was also the head coach at Carl Albert (Okla.) High School in 1994, ranking 10th in the state's final class 5A poll.

A native of the Dallas-Forth Worth area, Graham was an all-state defensive back at North Mesquite High School. He went on to play at East Central University, where he was a two-year NAIA All-America defensive back and three-time all-conference performer.

Graham earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in education at East Central University. He and his wife, Penni, have six children: Bo, Natalie, Hank, Haylee, Dakota and Michael Todd Jr.

GRAHAM'S COLLEGIATE COACHING RECORD YEAR-BY-YEAR
Year            School            Position            Record            Postseason
1991            East Central            Defensive Coordinator            5-4-1
1992            East Central            Defensive Coordinator            6-3            OIC Champions
1993            East Central            Defensive Coordinator            10-3            NAIA Champions
2001            West Virginia            Linebackers            3-8
2002            West Virginia            Co-Defensive Coord. & Safeties            9-4            Continental Tire Bowl
2003            Tulsa            Asst. HC/Defensive Coord./Safeties     8-5            Humanitarian Bowl
2004            Tulsa            Asst. HC/Defensive Coord./Safeties     4-8
2005            Tulsa            Asst. HC/Defensive Coord./Safeties     9-4            C-USA Champions, Liberty Bowl
2006            Rice            Head Coach            7-6            R&L Carrier New Orleans Bowl
2007            Tulsa            Head Coach            10-4          C-USA West Champions, GMAC Bowl
2008            Tulsa            Head Coach            11-3          C-USA West Champions, GMAC Bowl