After Late Arrival, Graham Moving Fast At Tulsa

An ice storm prevented Todd Graham from arriving on the job as Tulsa's new head coach as soon as he had expected. After he was able to navigate his way into town, Graham hasn't missed a beat in

Monday, January 15th 2007, 5:54 pm

By: News On 6

An ice storm prevented Todd Graham from arriving on the job as Tulsa's new head coach as soon as he had expected. After he was able to navigate his way into town, Graham hasn't missed a beat in moving forward.

Graham attracted West Virginia recruiting coordinator Herb Hand to join his staff over the weekend and then added Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on Monday, moving closer to completing his staff for the Golden Hurricane.

"I think that we've put together an outstanding staff. We're still waiting on one spot but there's a lot of excitement," Graham said Monday in a telephone interview. "I think this staff is generating a lot of excitement that we're putting together and should help us be able to put together a great recruiting class."

Graham will set out Tuesday on his first recruiting trip as Tulsa's head coach. He was supposed to be introduced at a news conference on Friday but instead got stranded in Kansas City, Mo., by the weather. It took him about eight hours to drive into town in roundabout fashion.

"This has been an exciting time for me and my wife. Coming back to a place that we have so many great friends and so many great relationships means an awful lot to us," said Graham, who was Tulsa's defensive coordinator from 2003-05. "Our heart was here in Tulsa, and it meant a lot to us to get the opportunity to come back."

Graham brought six of his assistant coaches with him from Rice, including strength coach Yancy McKnight, who Graham called the "single most important" addition to the staff. He then recruited Hand and Malzahn from a pair of teams that finished in the top 15 of The Associated Press' final poll.

"I have relationships with these guys," Graham said. "I worked with Herb when I was at West Virginia. Gus and I have known each other for over 10 years, sharing ideas on the no-huddle spread offense that we're going to run."

Graham hopes to continue the work that his former boss, Steve Kragthorpe, started before moving on to Louisville last week. In other words, "We want to be a program that's competing for championships year in and year out," Graham said.

Under Kragthorpe, the Golden Hurricane won their first conference title in two decades. But when Kragthorpe and Graham first came to Tulsa in 2003, they inherited a team that had won only one game in each of its previous two seasons.

"We're a program that's reloading and moving to the next level. When we first came in here ... you had to teach them how to win, you had to build it from the ground up. We're way, way beyond that," Graham said. "We've got kids that know how to win, know what it takes, they're focused and want to be the very best. It's night and day."

Graham said Tulsa players greeted him with hugs upon his return this weekend. He hopes the transition will be eased by the team's familiarity with him and with defensive and kicking schemes that remain in place. "The only thing that we're tinkering with a little bit is the offense," he said.

"We're going to do things the right way, with integrity. Nothing's changed, because you know what? I was here," Graham added. "It's going to be a smooth transition. The kids know me, they know what to expect."

That familiarity is also what made it easier for Graham to leave Rice only days after he had signed an extension to keep him in Houston until 2012.

"The bottom line with me, I think, is the commitment," Graham said. "At the end of the day, people think it was about money. Taking care of my family and being able to provide for my family, that's my number one priority. I've got to take care of my family.

"At the end of the day, I think the University of Tulsa, (President) Dr. (Steadman) Upham and Bubba Cunningham are committed to being the best at everything we do, everything that's on this campus. That's what made the decision for me was Dr. Upham and Bubba Cunningham's commitment, and I'm not talking money."