Legendary Texas high school and Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell was announced on Jan. 28, 2025, as ACU’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator. He will also coach Wildcat quarterbacks. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Purdue in the Big Ten during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Harrell, announced on January 15 as a member of the 2025 induction class into the College Football Hall of Fame, is very familiar with ACU and its football program. His father, former head coach of Ennis High School Sam Harrell, played football at ACU under head coaches Dewitt Jones and Ted Sitton, graduated from ACU in 1979, and won Class 4A state championships in 2000, 2001, and 2004. His mother, Kathy (Stanton '80) Harrell, is also an ACU graduate, and his youngest brother, Clark, graduated from ACU in 2011 after playing for the Wildcats from 2008-2010.
Harrell has coached at five Power 4 universities since 2014, working as an offensive quality control coach at Oklahoma State in 2009. He spent the next five years in the NFL and Canadian Football League before retiring and getting back into coaching. He coached with his Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach at Washington State in 2014 and 2015 before moving to North Texas, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2016-18. He held that position at USC for three seasons (2019-21), spent one year in the same role at West Virginia in 2022, and spent the last two seasons at Purdue.
Harrell solidified his legacy in Texas football on the evening of November 1, 2008, when he created one of the iconic moments in Red Raider and Big 12 football history. A thrilling final 90 seconds propelled the sixth-ranked Red Raiders to a stunning 39-33 upset over the No. 1-ranked Texas in front of more than 56,000 fans at Jones AT&T Stadium and a national television audience. With 1:29 remaining in the game, the Longhorns led 33-32, but one of the great moments in Texas college football history was about to unfold in Lubbock.
On first and 10 from the Texas 28-yard line, the game appeared to be over when a pass from Harrell was tipped and nearly intercepted by Blake Gideon, a pick that would have preserved a Texas victory. But the drop gave Harrell and the Red Raiders another chance. With eight seconds left in the game, he dropped back and hit All-American receiver Michael Crabtree near the right sideline at the 6-yard line with about three seconds left. Crabtree broke a tackle and stepped into the end zone with one second to play, giving the Red Raiders a 39-33 win and setting off a wild post-game celebration.
Harrell was among the 18 college football greats and four former coaches named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class. The induction ceremony will be on Dec. 9 at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas.
Over his three seasons leading Texas Tech's record-setting offense, Harrell torched opposing defenses for 15,793 passing yards over his Red Raider career. Harrell finished fourth in the 2008 Heisman Trophy voting, narrowly topping Tech receiver Michael Crabtree, who was fifth overall after a memorable season that saw the Red Raiders finish 11-1 in the regular season and rise to No. 2 in the national polls.
Harrell was named the Sammy Baugh Trophy winner as a junior in 2007 before claiming the Johnny Unitas Award, AT&T All-America Player of the Year, and Sporting News Co-Player of the Year honors in 2008. He was also tabbed a first team All-American by the AFCA following a 2008 season where he threw for 5,111 yards and 45 touchdowns. Harrell broke seven NCAA records during his playing career and remains in the top five of seven FBS statistical categories, including career passing yards and touchdown passes.
Harrell, a three-time All-Big 12 honoree, led Texas Tech to a share of the 2008 Big 12 South title. He still holds the conference's records for career completions and touchdown passes. He ranks second in Big 12 history for career passing yards, career attempts, and career completion percentage (69.4). He remains the only quarterback in Big 12 history to lead the league in passing yards in three seasons.
Born in Brownwood, where his father, Sam, was an assistant coach to legendary high school coach Gordon Wood, Harrell played for his father at Ennis High School. As a sophomore, he led the team to the 2001 state title as quarterback.
Harrell set Texas high school records in these categories:
• Single-season passing yards (4,825 in 2003 over 13 games; the next two quarterbacks on the list set their records over 16-game seasons). The record stood until 2007, when former Lake Travis quarterback Garrett Gilbert broke it.
• Career passing yards (12,532 from 2000 to 2003; broken by Gilbert in 2008).
• Single-season touchdown passes (67 in 2003).
• Career touchdown passes (167 from 2000 to 2003).
• Single-season pass completions (334 in 2003; also broken by Gilbert, who recorded 359 completions in 2007).
Coach Keith Patterson says...
"Graham Harrell is one of the most competitive young men that I have been around in a long time. He is obviously a legend here in West Texas. He brings an Air Raid influence to our offense."
