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Arizona State, Todd Graham Mulling Contract Extension

After just one full season in the desert, it appears Todd Graham might be looking to make Arizona State his permanent home.

By Kerry Crowley

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Todd Graham at his introductory press conference in December of 2011.
Todd Graham at his introductory press conference in December of 2011.
Christian Petersen

Todd Graham revamped the culture of Sun Devil football in just one season as head coach. Now, the Arizona State athletic department is hoping that he can continue to bring positive change well into the future.

According to Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, Arizona State is considering extending Graham's contract. Haller reported on Friday afternoon that the university is in talks with Graham about his future with the program.

Graham's current contract extends through December 31, 2016 and is loaded with incentives if the Sun Devils reach BCS Bowl games. Graham has ascended quickly through the college ranks with stops at Rice, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh before coming to Arizona State in December of 2011.

A native of Texas, it's presumed that Graham may have his eye on coaching in the Southeastern Conference, but he has reiterated his desire to win Pac-12 Championships, Rose Bowls, and a National Championship at Arizona State.

In his first season at the helm, Graham led the Sun Devils to an 8-5 mark including a victory over first-year Arizona Wildcat head coach Rich Rodriguez in the Territorial Cup. Graham has repeated throughout the offseason that he believes this year's squad is the best team he's ever coached, and anything less than a Pac-12 South title will come up short of team goals.

Dennis Erickson preceded Graham at Arizona State and went 10-3 in his inaugural season back in 2007. In Erickson's next four seasons, he led the Sun Devils to an overall record of 21-28.

Graham opens his second season on Thursday night as the Sun Devils take on Sacramento State. If Graham and Arizona State are serious about a contract extension, the first five games of this year's schedule take on an even greater significance.

Should the Sun Devils lock up Graham while they can? Or is it way too early to start talking extension? Let us know in the comments section below the article.

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