A former standout cornerback at Tulsa and a six-year pro, Nick Graham is in his fifth season as UTSA's cornerbacks coach and first as assistant head coach after serving as defensive pass game coordinator in 2023.
During Graham’s time in San Antonio, the Roadrunners have enjoyed the most successful four-year run in program history with a 39-14 overall record, 27-4 regular season league mark, two conference championships and four straight bowl appearances.
Graham also was instrumental in the development of former UTSA star Tariq Woolen, who was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and led the league with six interceptions as a rookie starting cornerback.
In 2023, Graham helped guide the Roadrunners to a 9-4 overall record, a 7-1 mark for a third-place finish in their American Athletic Conference debut campaign and the program’s first bowl win with a 35-17 victory over Marshall in the 2023 Frisco Bowl.
UTSA’s defense enjoyed a record-setting season, smashing the school record for sacks with 46 and also taking down the tackles for loss mark with 99. The Roadrunners also broke single-game standards with seven sacks against Texas State and 13 quarterback hurries versus East Carolina. UTSA led The American and ranked second nationally with 3.54 sacks per game and ended up fifth among FBS teams with a conference-leading 7.6 tackles for loss per contest.
Individually, Graham’s cornerbacks combined for 102 tackles, four interceptions and 30 pass breakups. Kam Alexander was the Frisco Bowl Defensive MVP and earned first-team all-conference honors after posting 34 tackles, 15 PBUs and a pair of picks.
In 2022, Graham and the defensive staff helped UTSA to an 11-3 record and a second straight Conference USA title. The Roadrunners were ranked in the top 25 in all three major polls during the season and capped the campaign with their third consecutive bowl game appearance at the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Graham's starting cornerback duo of Corey Mayfield Jr. and Nicktroy Fortune emerged as one of the best in the league, as both players earned all-conference recognition. Mayfield Jr. enjoyed the best season of his career, recording 63 tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups en route to first-team All-Conference honors. Fortune made 41 stops and broke up five passes in his first season with the Roadrunners and was named honorable mention all-conference.In 2021, Graham helped UTSA to a 12-2 record for the most wins and best winning percentage (.857) in program history. The Roadrunners won their first conference title with a 49-41 victory over WKU in the C-USA Championship Game, were nationally ranked (as high as No. 15) for the first time and made their second straight and third overall bowl appearance when they met San Diego State in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.
Graham's cornerbacks helped the Roadrunners emerged as one of the best in the FBS in creating turnovers with 25 takeaways to rank 10th in the nation. Ken Robinson led the unit with 41 tackles and seven pass breakups to go along with 2.5 tackles for loss, and Mayfield, an honorable mention all-league performer, posted 37 stops, three PBUs and a pair of interceptions, including a 49-yard pick six in the 45-0 shutout of Rice. Woolen added 25 tackles, five PBUs, 2.5 TFLs and an interception en route to honorable mention all-conference accolades despite missing five contests, while Jahmal Sam logged 36 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a pair of pass breakups while splitting time between cornerback and safety.
In his first season in San Antonio, Graham helped the Roadrunners to a 7-5 record, a second-place finish in Conference USA’s West Division with a 5-2 mark and an appearance in the 2020 First Responder Bowl. He was a key member of a defensive staff that helped UTSA lead C-USA in sacks (25), tackles for loss (85), interceptions (11), takeaways (19) and turnover margin (+7). In fact, the Roadrunners ranked in the top 30 nationally in five categories — 19th in turnovers gained, 23rd in passes intercepted, 25th in fumbles recovered (8), 26th in turnover margin and 29th in tackles for loss per game (7.1).
Graham's presence was felt immediately by the cornerbacks in 2020. Mayfield received honorable mention all-conference recognition after posting a team-best six pass breakups to go along with a pair of interceptions, one forced fumble, 37 tackles and three tackles for loss. Robinson was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team after tallying 28 stops, three PBUs and a forced fumble in nine games. Woolen, who converted from wide receiver, made seven starts and recorded 35 tackles, 3.5 TFL, four PBUs, one interception and a forced fumble in 11 contests.
Graham came to the Roadrunners after spending the 2019 season at McNeese as the safeties coach. His position group was led by second-team All-Southland Conference safety Cory McCoy, who posted three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Prior to his time at McNeese, Graham spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Central Oklahoma, where he mentored four all-conference selections, including 2018 All-American defensive back O'Shay Harris.
Previously, Graham spent three years at Tulsa, where he served as a student assistant in 2013 before spending the 2014 and 2015 seasons as a defensive analyst.
Graham was a prep standout at Millwood High School in Oklahoma City, where he led the Falcons to three state championships. He then enjoyed a stellar four-year career at Tulsa, where he was a two-time, second-team All-Conference USA selection. A starter in 30 of 50 games played with the Golden Hurricane, Graham ended his career with 180 tackles, 20 pass breakups, seven interceptions, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Following his playing career at Tulsa, Graham played six years of professional football, the first three in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. He was out of football for a year before returning to play three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
He retired from playing in 2013 and returned to Tulsa to complete his degree in communications and start his coaching career.
He and his wife, Candice, have three children, Jaliyah, Nicholas and Jamison.
The Nick Graham File
Coaching Experience
2013: Tulsa (student assistant)
2014-15: Tulsa (defensive analyst)
2016-18: Central Oklahoma (defensive backs)
2019: McNeese (safeties)
2020-22: UTSA (cornerbacks)
2023: UTSA (defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks)
2024: UTSA (assistant head coach/cornerbacks)
2003-06: Tulsa (cornerback)
2007: Philadelphia Eagles (cornerback)
2008-09: Indianapolis Colts (cornerback)
2010-12: Saskatchewan Roughriders (cornerback)
2012: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (cornerback)
Education
Bachelor’s degree in communications, Tulsa, 2013
Hometown
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Family
Wife: Candice
Children: Jaliyah, Nicholas, Jamison