Todd Graham wants ASU's facility to be better than Oregon's

By Nick Bromberg May 14, 2015 Dr. Saturday



TUCSON, AZ - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Todd Graham of Arizona State Sun Devils congratulates his team after a turnover off a kickoff in the second quarter during the Territorial Cup college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on November 28, 2014 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Arizona State coach Todd Graham has a lofty goal for the construction of the Sun Devils' new football facility.

He says Oregon is the standard for football facilities in the Pac-12 and wants ASU's to be better when it's completed. However, he makes it pretty clear there will be no fancy water features in Arizona State's facility, which is being built as part of renovations to Sun Devil Stadium.

"I can't wait for you to go through that new facility," Graham told AZCentral.com. "No one will have a better commitment and a better facility to do what we do. It will be high tech. Oregon sets the bar right now with facilities. They won't have a better facility than we will. We're not building moats and crap like that, but it will fit us. It will make a bold statement that, yes, we are committed to building a top-five program in the nation."

Oregon has a duck pond as part of its football facility, a group of buildings that is quite incredible. It opened in 2013 and cost an estimated $70 million. The money for the facility was provided via Nike founder Phil Knight (Check out Oregon's Autzen Stadium here.)

ASU's project is set to be complete in 2017 and you can take a look at ASU's ideas for the renovations here and here. The Sun Devils will continue to play at the stadium in the next two years while construction is taking place.

might as well throw this one on here as well. Didn't know TG had dyslexia. I guess TG's publicist is earning his paycheck:


Todd Graham's family shares a special moment at daughter's graduation
ESPN by: Kevin Gemmell, College Football



It's a spiel that Haylee Graham had heard before.

"Thousands of times," she joked.

God, country, family.

That was the theme last week when Arizona State football coach Todd Graham went to talk at his alma mater, East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, as the graduation commencement speaker. For starters, Graham called it a great honor to even be asked to speak at graduation. But the fact that his daughter, Haylee, was in the graduating class made it all the more special.

"I was the first person in my family to ever go to college and the first person in the history of my family to graduate from college," Todd Graham said. "I grew up with some challenges like dyslexia, and it was perfect for me to be at a small college to get a degree.


Graham's daughter Haylee graduated with her degree in nursing. Courtesy of Arizona State


"I can remember sitting there graduating with my mom in the stands and handing her that diploma was one of the most special memories I have in my life. That changed the legacy of my family. And obviously my daughter being there was representation of changing that legacy. Now the minimum standard in our family is graduating from college. Education is what changed my life and it's changing the lives of those in my family."
Graham's daughter Haylee graduated with her degree in nursing. Courtesy of Arizona State

Haylee Graham, who graduated with a nursing degree, admitted to being mildly cautious about her father being the commencement speaker. But she said it proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – especially when her dad gave a shout out to the nursing department.

"The college is so small and he was like a celebrity there," said Haylee, one of six Graham children. "I was hoping the graduation would be about me and my friends. I was a little leery of it, but everything was great.

"I'm not real outspoken about who my dad is. I like people to know me for me. Really, none of my friends knew he was my dad until graduation. Obviously my friends at home know. But my college friends didn't really know. But people talk about him a lot during football season."

During his time at East Central as a player and coach, Graham was a two-time NAIA All-American defensive back and later served as defensive coordinator on the on their NAIA National Championship Team.

There were no jokes or embarrassing stories directed at Haylee. The coach understood the magnitude of the moment and did nothing to detract from his daughter's big day.

"It was pretty special," he said. "She kicked her dad's tail as far as grade point average. She's going into a position that's about serving and sacrifice. She's going to help people the rest of her life as a nurse and it was special to be there and see that. That's what you want for your kids. The thing that is most rewarding in life; wealth is not determined about how many trophies you have. Serving and sacrificing for others is the best thing you can do. Her going into nursing is very much like that ... the most successful thing I've ever done in my life is be a father."