Pitt Football: Tulsa's Todd Graham Emerges As Top Candidate For Pitt Job

If you've haven't been following the coaching carousel going on at Pitt, you will be surprised to learn that Todd Graham, current head coach at Tulsa, has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Dave Wannstedt. 

Tulsa World, the daily newspaper for Tulsa, Okla., reported the following in its online edition yesterday morning:

"... the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Paul Zeise is reporting that Graham is expected to interview with the Pitt search committee and Chancellor Mark Nordenberg. Zeise said that Graham is the first candidate to get a second interview (he met with the school during the initial process to replace Dave Wannstedt) and the first to meet with the chancellor." (Tulsa World, Jan. 7, 2011).

Penni Graham, Todd's wife, used her Facebook account to send out a message late last night. The message could be interpreted as a good-bye to friends, family, and supporters of the Tulsa Hurricane football program.

This statement occurs in the same online article describing Todd Graham's interactions with Pitt:

“Think about what TU looked like eight years ago when we arrived, and what it is today! Remarkable people who dramatically changed the future of Tulsa Community and TU.

"Thankful to know them and grateful for their love of making a difference in so many lives. They will never know the students' futures they changed and the way they impacted Tulsa's economic development.” 

Is Penni writing a farewell thank-you or just summarizing her feelings after an evening of festivities honoring Tulsa football?

According to Chris Peak at Rivals' Pantherlair.com, Graham met with Pitt's search committee (Jerry Cochran, executive vice-chancellor; Donna Sanft, executive associate athletic director; and Pederson) on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Todd and Penni Graham deny being in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Neither denies being in Dallas yesterday where the search committee, including Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg, met with Graham again.

Nordenberg's presence at this interview can be explained by the fact that Graham had already been interviewed by Pitt in the first search that ended with Michael Haywood being named by Pederson as Dave Wannstedt's successor..   

Paul Chryst, Wisconsin's offensive coordinator, also interviewed with the committee on Wednesday in Atlanta. Pitt has announced they are no longer interested in him, which could be code for we can't afford you.

The search committee will be in Birmingham, Ala., today for the BBVA Compass Bowl. It's possible that Sal Sunseri, who interviewed Monday, probably in Pittsburgh, will get a second interview today if one is planned.

Sunseri will be in Birmingham to watch his son Tino quarterback the Pitt effort against Kentucky.

Pitt has lost its chance to make a big splash today by announcing the name of the new head football coach at the bowl.

The committee has scheduled interviews with Stanford's associate head coach for the offense Greg Roman; and Teryl Austin, Florida's former defensive coordinator, on Sunday.

Another possible interview on Sunday could be with Bud Foster, Virginia Tech's long-time defensive coordinator.

Somewhere in this mix, Mario Cristobal of Florida International might have been interviewed.

Tom Bradley, Penn State's defensive coordinator and a fan favorite, is not out of the picture, although his stock appears to have fallen.

Desmond Conner, UConn beat reporter for the Hartford Courant, reported the following Friday morning:

"...defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, according to sources, was scheduled to be at UConn for an interview today. Late Thursday, another source said Bradley, the leading candidate to fill the vacant Pitt job, would not be going to Storrs.  Who knows for sure?"

We now know Bradley rescheduled his interview with UConn for Sunday at an undisclosed location.

After his interview with the Pitt committee on Tuesday, Bradley saw his chances take a hit when media reports that he had gotten the job and was telling some of his Penn State players about it appeared in text messages and tweets.

Rumors emerged on Wednesday that he and Pederson could not work out details over assistant coaches' pay, but slowly through the week that rumor has been debunked.

Todd Graham appears to be at the head of the pack.

Graham has a wandering eye. He was an assistant at Tulsa before he accepted the Rice job in 2006. He led Rice to its first bowl game since 1960, posting a 7-5 record. Rice offered him a significant raise and a contract extension.

He didn't sign the contract extension and bolted to Tulsa instead. Tulsa gave him a raise and a 10-year contract extension in January 2009 which he did sign. He is now ready to bolt for greener pastures again.

It's unlikely Graham will ever become the coach at Pitt. He and Pederson couldn't reach an agreement on pay during the first round of interviews. He is now sending feelers out to Stanford. He is ready to interview for that job, too.