Staff Directory
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- Associate Head Coach / Co-Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
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Legendary Texas high school and Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell is in his second season at ACU for the 2026 campaign.
Harrell was hired as ACU's associate head coach and offensive coordinator on Jan. 28, 2025. He also coaches Wildcat quarterbacks.
ACU (2025-Present)
In his first season in 2025, Harrell guided ACU's offense to average 408 yards and 30 points per game. Starting quarterback Stone Earle was one of the most effective in the country as he completed 67% of his passes (9th best in FCS), threw for 3,285 yards (6th most), ran for 433 yards and scored 34 total touchdowns. Earle set an ACU record for most rushing TD by a quarterback with 12 on the season.
Harrell's offense also produced an All-America wide receiver in Javon Gipson, and two All-UAC offensive linemen in tackle Luke Rotaen and center Colter Lynch. ACU was one of only eight FCS schools with three players who rushed for at least 500 yards - the first time ACU has done that in at least 25 years
In 2025, the Wildcats led the UAC with a 47% conversion rate on 3rd down (12th best in FCS), and in time of possession at 32:13 per game.
PRIOR TO ACU
Harrell was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Purdue in the Big Ten during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
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.
PLAYING CAREER
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 inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Dec. 2025.
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).
ACU TIES
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.
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."
