Things do not seem to be going well for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
The football program is in disarray following allegations of player mistreatment involving head coach Todd Graham. Graham was accused of verbally abusing players and coaches, leading some players to start transferring. The team’s disappointing season ended early following a COVID-19 outbreak that prevented them from playing in a bowl game. And from there, players have started transferring en masse, including six starters, their starting quarterback, and two team captains, something Graham recently complained about in a statement.
You can now add the coach’s son to the list of players who want to play elsewhere.
Hawaii freshman DB Michael Graham has entered the transfer portal. Graham is the son of Hawaii HC Todd Graham.https://t.co/yB3q08YEoU
— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) December 30, 2021
Graham’s son, defensive back Michael Graham, is now the 14th Hawaii player to enter the transfer portal since the season ended. The freshman played in two games for the Warriors this season, garnered four tackles.
“As a staff, we realized that the transfer portal would bring challenges to our team. The portal has been a challenge to many teams this season,” Todd Graham said in a statement about the many transfers. “We are disappointed to lose any member of our Warrior family to the transfer portal. We appreciate the contributions they have made to the team and wish them the very best in their future.”
It’s about as damning a realization as you can get that his own son doesn’t even want to play for Graham, who previously had stints with Arizona State, Pitt, Tulsa, and Rice. His one-year turn at Pitt and how he left for Arizona State is an infamous story of a head coach’s lack of concern for his current players, texting them that he was leaving and then hopping on a flight.
One wonders how the Hawaii high-ups can look at the state of the football program and wonder whether or not it’s worth having Graham lead their team. The team isn’t winning on the field and he’s bringing nothing but negative press to your program. Some have even wondered if the younger Graham’s transfer is a harbinger of news to come about the elder one’s employment.
There were certainly some very big reactions on social media to the news of Graham’s son transferring.
Makes one wonder if Hawaii might be about to hit the lottery (Graham himself leaving) but the statements the other day didn’t make it sound like that https://t.co/TUz2a8EtKk
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) December 30, 2021
It would be amazing if Todd Graham's kid informed his dad that he was transferring via text message
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/equitybruin/status/1476615724298752005
MAN WHAT https://t.co/SguWlSimUb
— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) December 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/38Godfrey/status/1476613837637959689
The funniest college football tweet you’ll read today https://t.co/pdHJzscxx9
— Ben Swain (@TheBenSwain) December 30, 2021
Things seem to be going from bad to worse in Hawaii, which is really saying something given how great it’s supposed to be to live in Hawaii and coach football for a living.
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