Todd Graham has been let go at Arizona State after six years leading the Sun Devils football program.
Arizona State went 7-5 in 2017 and its 6-3 conference record was good enough for a second place finish in the Pac-12 South. In six years as the Sun Devils coach, Graham went 46-31 with a 31-23 record in conference play, one division title (2013) and two 10-win seasons (2013, 2014).
"From the moment he arrived in Tempe, Todd helped change the culture and emphasized the student in student-athlete here at Arizona State, elevating the program to unprecedented heights in the classroom and strong citizenship across the board," athletic director Ray Anderson said in a statement, confirming that Graham had been relieved of his duties.
"However, our athletic department, university and community expect our football program to compete on the field for Pac-12 titles, be competitively consistent and qualify to participate in major bowl games on a regular basis. In evaluating Todd's body of work over a four-year period, it became clear that a change is necessary."
Graham and his staff will remain in place and coach the team in their bowl game, the school announced on Sunday.
After Arizona State beat Arizona 42-30 in the Territorial Cup on Saturday, fans noticed Graham, 4-2 in the rivalry series against the Wildcats, taking unusually more time to soak in the atmosphere from the field. According to a 247Sports report, athletic director Ray Anderson set a meeting for Sunday morning shortly after the game.
Todd Graham held up an extra long fork after a very meaningful Territorial Cup victory. pic.twitter.com/TSDuIyUHr7
— Rob Werner (@robwerner28) November 26, 2017
Though never considered one of the top contenders in the Chip Kelly sweepstakes, Arizona State was mentioned as a potential landing spot for Kelly prior to UCLA announcing the hire over the weekend. In choosing to move on from Graham, Arizona State will look to make a hire that will keep the program competitive as the former two-time Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year joins the division for 2018.
According to CBS Sports senior college football writer Dennis Dodd, names to watch as the next ASU coach include Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, Vanderbilt coach and Phoenix native Derek Mason as well as Memphis coach Mike Norvell.
Hearing Kevin Sumlin, Derek Mason, Mike Norvell as names to watch at Arizona State.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) November 26, 2017