Here’s the deal on doing posts regarding the utterances of Fraud Graham. I don’t want to. I really don’t. I want this dead and in the past. That said, I’m not going to ignore his bullshit with regards to his fleeing Pitt. He doesn’t get to rewrite the history.
Having failed in national media with claims that he took the Arizona State job for to be closer to his wife’s family. Then shifting to saying his kids were not happy in Pittsburgh. It just hasn’t worked at a national level. He’s still a punchline. He’s still a carpet-bagging joke.
So, in another round of national media stories it is time to once more massage the message. Appear humble. Claim that he understands the abuse and deserves it for now. As part of that, simplify the excuses. The hiding behind various family members hasn’t worked.
As Pitt Script notes, he can’t hide from this, since he is probably getting killed with it by other schools in recruiting. So he has to face the issue — sort of.
Time to vary the theme.
There were no excuses offered up over why he bailed on Pitt — he was completely transparent and honest discussing what he called his “biggest mistake.”
“In every job that [I’ve previously had] … I’ve changed jobs, and you know, you get a lot of grief, and rightly so. I take responsibility for being at a place for one year and leaving,” he said. “I made a mistake. The mistake was I probably should have never gone to Pittsburgh in the first place.”
Graham said that after then-head coach Dave Wannstedt was dismissed from Pitt in late 2010, the hiring and subsequent firing of Mike Haywood two weeks later sped up the Pitt coaching search. Graham was given just 24 hours to mull over leaving Tulsa for Pitt.
“I’m from the South, he explained. “[Pittsburgh] was a different cultural change for me. I did not feel comfortable.”
There was pain in his voice. Graham felt badly for the staff and players he left behind and although he’s taken heavy criticism since taking the Arizona State job, Graham admitted he can’t say he didn’t deserve it.
If he could get a chance at a do-over?
“I’d have stayed in Tulsa and I’d be right where I am right now,” he said firmly.
/slow mocking clap.
Well done. Emotional. Simple. And well-rehearsed. Let’s take a look at the AP article that came out a few days prior.
“I think you deserve probably some criticism for that, but that wasn’t my intention when I went to Pitt. If I made a mistake, it was going from Tulsa to Pitt. If I had it all to do over, I’d have stayed at Tulsa, but I’d be right here at Arizona State.”
What’s the saying? “If you repeat a lie often enough you actually start to believe it?”
Get it. He jumped too soon from Tulsa. Never mind that he jumped right away from Rice. Forget that anyone at Tulsa will tell you Graham was casting about for another job within a year of getting there. His mistake was that he looked before he leapt. That there was no time to think because Pitt gave him only a short window to decide.
Something that would be possibly, theoretically credible if not for reality. Pitt pursued Graham for nearly a week before he took the job. He knew the interest. He knew the negotiations. He didn’t have 24 hours to decide. He had 24 hours to accept the contract that was negotiated (hattip to FearTheStache for noting this).
Not to mention Graham’s claim that he didn’t have a lot of time to decide on that Arizona State job when he was “contacted” about it. You know, the one that led to him resigning and flying right down for it. The reason why he couldn’t meet with the kids and texted the support staff to tell them. So, perhaps he’ll have that one ready to re-use if he gets a chance to flee ASU for another dream job.
The AP piece and Lisa Horne’s piece (full disclosure, Lisa Horne and I both worked at AOL FanHouse at the same time. I don’t know her, but I do like and respect her work), leave with the possibility of redemption for Graham. The one thing that is missing. That never gets asked. The one thing I would love to see asked — in no small part because I’m sure it would make Graham squirm, duck and probably lie outright — is about his refusal to meet with anyone from Pitt in the hours before he abruptly quit. I want to know how a person that claims he is about accountability and looking people in the eye, couldn’t do it.
What is this, 1858 or something?
Yes and it had to be a severe adjustment living in a Million Dollar Golf Course Home in Nevillewood or wherever they let the Okie hole up at. Should Graham ever get drummed out of coaching, he will make an excellent used car salesmen or maybe a Gov’t spokesman.
What surprises me, however, is that Pederson was given a bye on that, and for Heywood.
Many people immediately saw Fraud for what he was. And yet Smiley hired him. Isn’t it his job to see through that crap?
Still, I believe he got it right with Christ.
He would make a very successful consultant.
Hail to Pitt!
I’ll cheer for you since you’re a Pitt guy.
Besides, if it comes down to Rangers and Flyers, I’ll really cheer for ya!!!
Grahams leash got cut when the AD GOT CANNED!!
This guy will be out of football in 5 years. I give him 3 years in the PAC and 2 more in whatever the WAC is then. No one will ever hire him as an assistant so he will end up working for some rodeo circuit where he can tell tales with an audience full of bulls–appropriate as he himself has no balls but is full of bull.
We got really lucky he left, otherwise it would have been 2-4 more years of bad football.
I’m hoping Chryst is the real deal. So far so good.
If i had my choice between Phoenix or Pittsburgh, I’d run to AZ.
As for the comment about culture shock from moving from the South to Pittsburgh, yes it is a culture shock for many, if not most. Same thing for many if you move from here to the South.
Please, no more Todd Graham stories.
Boy has he packed on the pounds.
Seems a bit telling about how truly happy he is with everything that’s gone down.
He called Pittsburgh Ass Backwards…not civilized. Ignorant….he peppers in his convo’s calling PA….. Pennsyltucky!
Thats what he is peddling…the school, area, fans are all a bunch of hicks. Calling the city dirty….a mess. Of course if u were ever in Pittsburgh u would know this is a lie but most folks have not and do have a preconcieved notion about the place…so it is working for him.
Parents, children, brothers and sisters and neices and nephews all in Pittsburgh or local 4 state area.
Everyone has priorities and everyone makes decisions.
Quite happy in our little neck of the woods.
Bottom line, IMHO, if you’re not a happy person, you’re probably not gonna be happy anywhere.
Personally I was in favor of hiring Chryst after they fired Wannstedt. He does have a good record as an OC. However, Pitt hasn’t had good luck with promoting co-ordinators in the past. Remember Paul Hackett and of course the worst of the worst Fazio. Both were good co-ordinators but failures as head coaches. I really hope that Chryst is a success.
I love Texas, and I have relatives in S.Carolina, go down several times, and have been to Alabama and Georgia, loved them.
I think it’s more that Fraud was taking a shot at Pittsburgh and culture shock??? Well, of course.
Anyone who lives in one region, will have a little culture shock when moving to another.
We all know that, most of us anyhow. I think people got a little riled up, because it was an un-warranted shot, especially after the mess he left in his wake.
Hell, in this day and age, I’m sure most of the people on here have relatives and friends in the South and Texas.
All over the country actually.
Anyhow, love Tejas’. Been to Houston, San Antonio and of all places, Temple.
Again, don’t think it’s a Souther or Texas beef, it’s a Fraud beef.