Todd Graham steps down as Hawaii coach amid allegations of verbally abusing players

Todd Graham's tenure at Hawaii is over after two seasons and an 11-11 record, the coach announced Saturday in a resignation letter.

"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the Head Football Coach at the University of Hawai'i for the past two seasons," Graham said in a statement, via the UH website. "After much prayer and reflection with my family, I have come to the conclusion that I will step away as head coach of the Rainbow Warriors, with a very heavy heart. I want to give my thanks and appreciation to the players, staff and coaches who persevered through all the challenges of 2020 and 2021. It wasn't easy, but they all fought the good fight and we did things the right way."

Graham, 57, specified in the statement that Hawaii did not ask him to step down and that he's leaving on his own accord.

The decision to resign came amid mounting criticism over his treatment of players on the team. SFGATE reported in early December about discord behind the scenes, citing multiple players who called Graham verbally abusive and said he "killed our love and passion for football.”

Hawaii players have flooded the transfer portal, including leading rusher Dae Dae Hunter and starting quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who are headed to Liberty and San Jose State, respectively. Last week, there was even a state senate hearing where several former Hawaii players criticized the coach and Graham denied the allegations, saying "no one has been verbally abused" during his time coaching the team.

Graham previously served as the head coach at Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, and Arizona State. He has a 106-72 record across his five head coaching tenures.