"Criteria for our head coach was established, and the word that was at the forefront of discussions was `energy'...energy towards promoting our program in the community and with former players. Energy towards instilling discipline, leadership and in recruiting. Energy towards representing our brand in every facet of the program," ASU VP of Athletics Lisa Love said in a statement. "In Todd, we have not only hired a young and sitting head coach, but one with a history of success on the field and in hiring top-notch assistant coaches. For the first time in his career, he will be taking over a program with a strong nucleus at the beginning. We are excited to watch Coach Graham take over a very well- positioned program and elevate it to the next level."

Graham, 47, has a career mark of 49-29 after stints at Rice, Tulsa and Pittsburgh. He went 6-6 in his lone year at Pitt, but the fact that he's leaving for another job so soon is a concern to some.

However, it's not one the school shares.

"What we sought in a football coach was someone who would be in it for the long term at Arizona State, who would build and guide a program that would be competitive in the Pac-12 and on a national level year after year after year, who would communicate and connect with the community, and represent our University with honor. In Todd Graham we have that person," said ASU President Dr. Michael Crow.

This will be Graham's fourth coaching stop since 2006, though the hire should alleviate the angst many ASU fans felt during the pursuit of a coach, which saw names like Kevin Sumlin and June Jones linked to the job.

Though Graham is not a "big name" in the traditional sense, he has a trio of 10-win seasons on his resume.

It has been reported that Graham will be bringing much of his staff from Pittsburgh to Tempe, including his offensive and defensive coordinators. That could be why Noel Mazzone left for a job at UCLA.