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Graham gets 10-year deal
The contract binds the coach to TU through 2018.

Tulsa coach Todd Graham cheers on his team after a touchdown against Arkansas on Nov. 1. Graham is believed to be among the six highest paid coaches in C-USA. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

 
By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
Published: 1/1/2009  2:31 AM
Last Modified: 1/1/2009  3:07 AM

 Tulsa football coach Todd Graham has agreed to a new 10-year contract which runs through the 2018-19 academic year.

The decade-long deal, first reported Wednesday night on tulsaworld.com, is believed to be the longest in school history for a coach.

"I'm very grateful to (president) Dr. Steadman Upham, the board of trustees and (athletic director) Bubba Cunningham to have that kind of faith in my staff and me," Graham said following Wednesday's preparations for the Jan. 6 GMAC Bowl game against Ball State. "I'm very excited. We're just getting started in building a top-flight program in the country."

Contract terms were not disclosed by TU, a private university. It's believed that Graham's annual salary is among the top six coaches of Conference USA, when averaged out would put him in the $800,000-$1 million range.

SMU's June Jones is the league's highest-paid coach, earning $2 million per season. According to 2007 figures researched by USA TODAY, East Carolina's Skip Holtz was sixth with a salary of approximately $560,000 a season.

The last time Graham received a renegotiated contract, he was Rice's head coach in 2006. Just a few days later, he departed for Tulsa.

When reminded about that on Wednesday, he said, "there were a lot of mistruths about that deal," Graham said. "Having the opportunity to come home here was a no-brainer for me."

Cunningham said the 10-year deal shows that Tulsa is committed to keeping its football coach, especially one like Graham who has led the program to back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history.

How did both parties come up with 10 years?

"That's a conversation Todd and I had over the past two years," Cunningham said. "I asked, what makes you feel good? What would entice you to stay here and not look over your shoulder every 20 minutes? That became a number that was comfortable for both of us."

Few coaches can claim having that length of contract — Notre Dame's Charlie Weis and Central Florida's George O'Leary come to mind.

But both of those coaches were under fire at some point this season. Does Cunningham believe TU is protected if the team starts slipping midway through Graham's 10-year deal? He think so, but shielded any figures publicly.

"There's a buyout clause, but we don't get into those terms too specifically," Cunningham said. "We think it's a good long-term deal for Todd. We think it's a good long-term deal for the university."

Graham's name has been linked often with coaching vacancies. He hopes this contract erases that talk in the future.

"This sends a message to our recruits and the football community that there's great stability at the University of Tulsa," Graham said.



Eric Bailey 581-8391
eric.bailey@tulsaworld.com

GMAC Bowl

Tulsa (10-3) vs. No. 23 Ball State (12-1)

7 p.m. Tuesday

Ladd-Peebles Stadium • Mobile, Ala.

TV: ESPN-25 • Radio: KRMG am740

By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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5 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
Jim Shorts, Tulsa (1/1/2009 9:10:12 AM)
I read about this deal two weeks ago on Inside Tulsa Sports on Rivals. THis will help ease the minds of recruits
Report Comment
SoonerDJ, Lisbon, Portugal (1/1/2009 11:19:24 AM)
I don't get these long term deals. Either the coach has a bad year or two and gets fired way before the contract is up or they are a hot coach and they leave after a year or two for a supposed better job. How many coaches stay for thier contract term? I would like to know the percentage.
Report Comment
owlman1970, (1/1/2009 3:17:17 PM)
Any Tulsa recruits that believe someone like Todd Graham deserve what they get.

This is the same guy that signed a new contract at Rice and pledged to stay before jumping to Tulsa within a week.
Report Comment
Golden Hurricane, Tulsa (1/1/2009 5:24:19 PM)
Hey Owlman...you are Rice, okay...do you get it? Here's the deal, yes TG did make a deal with Rice before Tulsa came calling...when Tulsa offerred, he had no choice but to accept. You have to know your place on the food chain...Tulsa eats Rice...Florida eats Tulsa...we accept it, now you should too! Now, enjoy the 60 we hang on you again next year!
Report Comment
GoldenDriller1, Tulsa (1/2/2009 2:58:29 PM)
Here is the deal, the long term deal equates to the necessity for any other program hiring Todd to have to pay a discounted balance to TU of the contract pending (even if Todd has yet earned or paid it). That balance will be used to create the necessary funds to proceed to secure an attractive contract for the next head coach, which includes the possibility of Gus returning to Tulsa as the head coach. It can happen and most likely will in some form or fashion within 4 years.
 

 
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