ARIZONA STATE FOOTBALL

ESPN’s Mark May: Todd Graham was lobbying for Texas job

Jan 8, 2014, 12:09 AM | Updated: 12:26 am

LISTEN: Mark May, ESPN college football anaylst

As soon as Todd Graham stepped on Arizona State’s campus for the first time after taking the head football coaching position, there was a faction of people just waiting for him to jump to the next best job.

Graham’s background warranted that after he left both Rice and Pittsburgh following one-year stays.

The coach’s early success at ASU coupled with the season-long rumors about the future of Mack Brown as Texas’ head coach led to much speculation that Graham could be a candidate for the Longhorns’ post — one of the most coveted jobs in all of college football.

Of course, that didn’t happen. Former ASU athletic director Steve Patterson, now the boss at Texas, plucked Charlie Strong from Louisville to lead UT’s program moving forward, effectively ending the seemingly ever-present “Graham to Austin” narrative.

But ESPN college football insider Mark May says despite Graham signing a contract extension with ASU, saying all the right things and an agreement being struck between Arizona State president Michael Crow and Patterson that Graham couldn’t be hired, the coach very much wanted the UT job.

“I heard through the grapevine, not publicly, but privately, Todd Graham was lobbying like heck to get the Texas job,” May told Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports now on 98.7 FM Tuesday. “Chew on that one, Arizona State Sun Devils fans.

“I heard it from not one, but two of our reporters at ESPN, that he was lobbying to get that job. It was another one of his ‘dream jobs.'”

When asked about the agreement reportedly struck between Patterson and Crow that would have prohibited the new UT athletic director from hiring anyone from ASU, May said he heard that there wasn’t much to it.

“I’m just telling you what I was told by our reporters at ESPN, that is not the case,” he said.

In all fairness, May has been long perceived as a “Graham-basher” due to the coach leaving Pittsburgh, May’s alma mater, after just one season. That was addressed as well.

“We have Paul Chryst, who’s probably a better guy for the program and is going to be there for the long-term.”

May didn’t stop at sharing what he’d heard about the Texas job, he blasted Graham’s coaching performance in ASU’s Holiday Bowl loss to Texas Tech.

“Worst coaching job in bowl season,” he said. “Yes, they lost their conference championship game to Stanford, but that’s a team that should have rolled over Texas Tech, because they’re a ‘down’ program.

“That was a game that was supposed to be a blowout for Arizona State and they were the worst-prepared team throughout the bowl season.”

Update:

There hasn’t been an official response from Arizona State University, nor should there be one, but senior associate athletic director Rocky Harris tweeted the following.

Arizona State Football

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: What is Bobby Hurley’s future at Arizona State?

On the latest State of the Sun Devil podcast the guys react to the end of men's basketball season, and wonder what the future of the program will be and how the offseason will unfold. Plus, reactions to football's pro day.

3 days ago

ASU football field...

Dan Bickley

Arizona State reaches rock bottom at end of Pac-12 stay

Rock bottom is mostly a metaphor, a cliché for sports teams that have fallen and can’t get up. But you can find it on the map at ASU.

4 days ago

Michael Crow, Arizona State University president...

Kevin Zimmerman

Now would be a good time for Arizona State to hire an athletic director

Who's to make a decision on Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley without an athletic director? Michael Crow must make a decision soon.

4 days ago

ASU QB Drew Pyne...

Arizona Sports

Former ASU starting QB Drew Pyne headed to Missouri

After playing in just two games in his ASU football career, quarterback Drew Pyne is moving on to the Missouri Tigers.

9 days ago

Sparky's Fairway at Mountain America Stadium...

Tyler Drake

Sparky’s Fairway golf takes over Arizona State’s Mountain America Stadium

ASU's Mountain America Stadium is trading in its hash marks for yardage markers as Sparky's Fairway takes center stage beginning Thursday.

11 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: What does Arizona State men’s basketball need to do against Bronny James and USC?

On the latest edition of State of the Sun Devils, the guys discuss what Arizona State men's basketball needs to do next.

13 days ago

ESPN’s Mark May: Todd Graham was lobbying for Texas job