Rice Coach Todd "flimflam" Graham Goes To Tulsa

ADLER · January 13, 2007

Rice Coach Todd "Flimflam" Graham Stings Owls With Lies And Deception

By JOHN P. LOPEZ

The day Todd Graham was announced as the savior of the Rice football program, a longtime Owls supporter waved from across a bustling and happy gymnasium where Graham was working the room.

Amid all the toasts and back-slapping over the Owls finally getting a coach seemingly committed to turning around the program, this was the sole word of warning, at least the only one I heard.

"I have my doubts about this Graham," I was told.

Why?

Graham was working the room and everyone figured this, finally, would be the key to a legitimate turnaround. Everyone was optimistic. But this alumnus did his homework about Graham.

Say it ain't so

He was told Graham was more bluster than sincerity. He was told Graham possessed a considerable knack for tossing others under the proverbial team bus if it could make him look better.

I shrugged. I filed it away. Nothing I saw seemed to indicate Graham was anything of the sort.

But then came another call Thursday night from an Owls player. The player wanted to know if what he heard was true. It can't be true, can it?

Just Sunday afternoon, Graham stood in front of the team and announced with all the conviction and believability of a pregame speech, and we paraphrase: Don't worry about me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be coaching the Owls until 2010 at least.

Words mean little

Graham also joked in the team meeting that it would take $10 million for him to leave.

But now we know the room wasn't the only thing Graham worked.

Graham told his players he would not leave and then he did, never sharing the news with players that he would leave for Tulsa until after it had been reported in print and on television.

He duped everyone. He lied to Rice alumni and supporters who believed in him. He sucked Rice fans of some $5 million worth of financial commitments for stadium and facility upgrades.

When offensive coordinator Major Applewhite was fielding job opportunities at Southeastern Conference schools Alabama and LSU, stealing headlines, Graham back-handed his former assistant.

Major blow to school

Graham, a former defensive coordinator at Tulsa, told an Austin television station: "We run Rice's offense, not Major Applewhite's offense. That was my offense."

He played athletic director Chris Del Conte like a fool, too, leaving Del Conte searching for ways to put a spin on the program being left in disarray. Recruits are rethinking commitments, and several players recruited by Graham are contemplating transfers.

Del Conte said Friday was, "A great day to be a Rice Owl," adding that the template for winning won't depart to Oklahoma with Graham.

But these, in truth, are some of the darkest days for Rice, thanks to the latest act of maybe the game's biggest coaching serpent. It's one thing for Nick Saban to ditch the Dolphins for Alabama. The Dolphins will survive.

The Owls had little on which to cling before Graham's arrival and have less now.

In one year's time, despite seven wins and a bowl berth, Graham did more damage than good.

Broken trust

That one skeptical voice who rose a year ago could not have spoken more profound words.

Now we know Rice has further to go than before, if only because Graham took away all the good things that were in place when he arrived.

The Owls might not have always had a winning record before Graham, but there always was a sense of family and love for the university from those at the core of the program.

Thanks to Graham flimflamming an entire university community, gaining free rein to gut the football operation when he was hired, the Owls must find not just a coach but people who genuinely care.

Graham drove a stake into the ground and into the heart of the Owls community early, pushing aside a number of longtime and committed Rice athletic department personnel along the way.

He surrounded himself with yes men and youngsters too giddy to be in the college game to express a contrary opinion.

Lots of new faces

Respected athletic trainer Allen Eggert, who had served the athletic department since 1968, was forced out. He was replaced by a 26-year-old kid who was happy to do anything Graham asked.

Others who departed included marketing director Mike Pede, longtime sports information director Bill Cousins, support personnel, even secretaries. He was pompous and, word was, at some point found a way to criticize virtually everyone in the department.

Worst of all, he told a bunch of college kids to plant their feet firmly on the ground and join him in committing to Rice for the long haul.

But as they stood there shoulder-to-shoulder Sunday, the only thing Graham forgot to tell his players about was the snake in the grass.

Listen to John P. Lopez weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on 790 AM. john.lopez@chron.com

good_ken · January 13, 2007

He sucked Rice fans of some $5 million worth of financial commitments for stadium and facility upgrades.

WOW. I thought some of the UNT alums were apathetic. But Rice is the new winner. If they really feel this way, they will wallow in their own misery forever. One donates to their university, not the HC.

Someone should go ahead and send them the Div 11 paperwork (that would also open up a CUSA spot).