Graham fired despite ASU rallying in 2nd half to beat UA

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Arizona State Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson decided to make a football coaching change in 2017.

There were warning signs going back as far June after a six-game losing streak ended the 2016 season. Also hanging over the program was a 56-35 loss in the Territorial Cup.

Some think a 44-37 loss at UCLA in November 2017 sealed Todd Graham’s fate. But the Sun Devils then beat Oregon State to qualify for a bowl and some uncertainty about the future still existed going into the rivalry game last year at Sun Devil Stadium.

ASU trailed 14-0, 17-7 and then 24-14 at halftime, but Arizona was forced to play the second half without quarterback Khalil Tate (shoulder). That helped the Sun Devils to go on a 21-0 run in the third quarter as did a punt block by Curtis Hodges and Demonte King interception.

The 42-30 win was the fourth in six Territorial Cups for Graham but not enough to earn a seventh try. He was fired the next day but stayed to coach in the Sun Bowl, a 52-31 loss to North Carolina State.

“I’m just so proud of our football team,” Graham said after the Territorial Cup. “I’m sitting here looking at this Cup and I’ve kissed it about five times already. I’m proud of Sun Devil nation, man. Got that Cup back to where it belongs.”

Arizona also finished 7-6, losing 3835 to Purdue in the Foster Farms Bowl and later fired coach Rich Rodriguez following an investigation into an allegation of sexual harassment.

So Graham and Rodriguez came in (2012) and went out together with similar overall records of 46-32 and 43-35 and one Pac-12 South title apiece.

“You want to leave a place better than you found it. I feel we’ve done that,” said Graham, who received a $12-million buyout for the final three years of his contract. He took 2018 off but wants to return to coaching.