Todd Graham was in awe of Rich Rodriguez’s no-huddle offense. As the East Central defensive coordinator tried to contain Rodriguez’s Glenville State team in the 1993 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship, he was captivated by the fast-paced system.

So captivated that he adopted the system as his own when he moved on to coach high school football the next season.

‘I was just fascinated with the no-huddle system,’ Graham said in the Big East coaches’ teleconference Monday. ‘Wound up going back and coaching high school, took that everywhere I’ve been a head coach, been a no-huddle team.’

Over the years, Graham has developed the no-huddle offense, picking up ideas and tweaking it with other coaches he has worked with throughout his career. The fast-paced approach has become his trademark as a head coach. And after spending the last four years at Tulsa, Graham is bringing his high-scoring attack to Pittsburgh.

Graham was hired to replace Mike Haywood, who was fired just 17 days into his tenure in January following an arrest on a domestic violence charge. The new head coach has had success as a head coach at the high school level as well as at Rice and Tulsa. Now, he gets his chance to prove himself at the Bowl Championship Series level in the Big East.

And he’s planning to use that same relentless pace to do it.

‘It’s about being physical and about mentally and physically wearing the opponent out,’ Graham said.

Though Graham’s teams are known for piling up yards and scoring points in bunches, his coaching journey started on the other side of the ball. He served as a defensive coordinator at East Central from 1991 to 1993 and then coached high school football for seven years. He returned to the college game in 2001 as a linebackers coach at West Virginia under the same Rich Rodriguez from Glenville State.

Graham was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2002. His responsibilities expanded, and it was now his job to have the defense ready to play each week.

Former West Virginia safety Angel Estrada said Graham was always prepared, often knowing what plays opposing offenses were going to run in certain situations.

In 2002, Graham watched from upstairs in the coaches booth as the Rutgers offense stayed on the field for a 4th-and-1 on the RU 37-yard line.

Desperation had set in for the Scarlet Knights as they trailed West Virginia 26-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter in 2002. They had to go for it.

Graham noted the formation and signaled an aggressive call to the sideline. He already knew Rutgers was going to run a short pass play designed to hit the fullback in the flat.

Graham was right. Thirty-seven yards later, Estrada was in the end zone after intercepting the Rutgers pass, putting a stamp on the 40-0 Mountaineers victory.

‘I baited it and just came underneath, picked it off, intercepted the ball and took it for a touchdown,’ Estrada said.

The unforgiving play call is part of Graham’s coaching mentality. Estrada said Graham and the West Virginia coaching staff stressed finishing everything they did. Practices were harder than games during Estrada’s career at West Virginia.

It’s a mentality Graham has carried throughout his coaching career. And it’s a key part of his hectic approach, which aims to keep the opposing team from catching its breath.

Former Tulsa safety James Lockett said playing for Graham starts with intense training sessions to get into shape. From running suicides adapted to the football field to gassers to shuttle runs, the team was always running.

And at practice, Graham never let the players get comfortable, challenging them to stay competitive at all times. All the running was exhausting for Lockett and his teammates, but it was all worth it come game day.

‘It really goes back to our training and us wanting to create a fifth quarter,’ Graham said.

Tulsa created that ‘fifth quarter’ during Graham’s four-year run, which saw the 2007 and 2008 teams lead the nation in total offense.

Lockett said that explosive offense not only prepared the defense for any team it faced, but it was also a thrill to watch from the sidelines.

‘It’s real exciting to see,’ Lockett said. ‘And it just motivates you to give them the ball back as soon as you can to see them score again and light up the scoreboard.’

Graham’s teams have been lighting up the scoreboard since he took the no-huddle as his own in 1993. Since East Central beat Glenville State 49-35 in that national championship game, Graham has perfected his own form of the system.

And as he takes it to Pittsburgh, his goal is to make opposing defensive coordinators feel how he did when he first saw Rodriguez running the no-huddle.

‘I think everything we do on offense (is) what I hated to defend,’ Graham said. ‘We try to be very sound about what we’re doing.’

Connecticut delays season opener due to effects of Tropical Storm Irene

Connecticut has postponed its first game of the season because its stadium is being used in relief efforts for Tropical Storm Irene. The Huskies were scheduled to play Fordham on Thursday night at Rentschler Field.

The National Guard is providing food and water to those in need at the stadium and loading delivery trucks with supplies for shelters across the state. Connecticut has suffered through hundreds of thousands of power outages and flooding since Irene hit on Sunday.

The school has not announced another date for the game, but the UConn Athletics website said it is ‘hopeful’ that the game will be Saturday.

rjgery@syr.edu

Published on August 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu