From Gator to Raider: Former Florida RB Earnest Graham hired as Santa Fe head football coach

Posted by author February 9, 2025 Football

Spread the love

Santa Fe football has won just two games since 2021, but the Raiders took step one in their rebuild as they hired legendary Florida RB Earnest Graham as their new head coach Saturday.

The former Gator is now a Raider.

Santa Fe High School’s football program will have its fourth head coach since 2022 next season, but this one comes with a little more name recognition.

Saturday, the Raiders officially hired Earnest Graham as their new head coach. Graham, the legendary Florida Gators running back, comes to Alachua after one season as offensive coordinator at Gainesville High.

“I prayed for an opportunity to be able to coach in a proud community,” Graham said. “It’s a community that appreciates what the game of football can do for a community because it has a history of excellence, but also what it can do to a young man, being a lifeblood.”

Who is Earnest Graham?

Graham is a legend throughout football in the state of Florida. It began at Mariner High School in Fort Myers, where he was Mr. Florida in 1997, and a Parade Magazine All-American running back.

He then moved to Gainesville for the first time as a Florida Gator. At UF, Graham was All-SEC freshman in 1999 and second-team All-SEC in 2001. He ranks near the top of many Florida football running back records, such as 5^th in rushing yards (3,065) and 4^th in rushing touchdowns (33).

Next came a nine-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Graham became beloved for his work ethic and team-first attitude.

The Graham legacy, of course, lives on with his son Myles Graham – a sophomore at Florida. Myles was All-SEC freshman in 2024 with 30 tackles, one interception, one sack and one forced fumble.

Where has Graham coached before?

Graham is no stranger to the coaching world. For much of his post-playing career, he was on the sidelines. He took over a struggling North Fort Myers program in 2013 that was 0-10 the season before.

The Red Knights had a .500 record his first three seasons before an undefeated season in 2017 and the program’s first playoff appearance since 1994.

NFM’s struggles before Graham look eerily like Santa Fe. The Raiders are one of only two programs in Alachua County with two state titles (1990 and 1994), but they haven’t had a winning season since 2015. SF has a combined two wins in the last four seasons.

“My goal was to get the young men to embrace the physicality and embrace that they could compete at that level,” Graham said. “Every job I’ve had has been like this. With each of them, I see more elements to make you more conducive to long-term success.”

Graham coached for a season at Oasis (Cape Coral), then with Myles at Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers) and Woodward Academy in Atlanta.

Last season, he joined former Gator teammate Ian Scott and helped Gainesville High go from one win to five wins. Graham admitted how difficult it was to leave his friend and the turnaround he’s orchestrating.

“We have similar experiences, so he totally understood and supported me,” Graham said. “It was tough to leave, but this situation had a lot of elements that we’re hard to resist.”

Graham believes his one year at GHS shows the proof is in the pudding — that you can turn around a struggling program quickly. The Hurricanes had one win combined in 2022 and 2023.

“It really goes to show the illustration of what we are talking about,” Graham said. “When you come together, when you break in good people, you can restore the hopes of the program, and kids respond to that.”

Why did Graham take the job at Santa Fe?

Graham isn’t naïve. He knows the Raiders’ program has struggled in recent years. However, he knows about the history of winning and the community that supports the Raiders. He saw it shine through last season when GHS played at SF.

“They have a lot of elements that are conducive to winning. They hosted us well. There was a large presence in the stands. The facilities are well taken care of,” Graham said. “If you’ve been in Alachua County anywhere, you know about Santa Fe’s success.”

Graham said he wasn’t necessarily seeking out another head coaching job. He just wants to help young men, and the best opportunity to do that was at Santa Fe.

“I’m a spiritual person, and I’ve been everything from a Director of Football Operations to a running back coach. My love of football has taken different forms, and right now, this is the calling for me.”

Graham and the new-look Raiders will kick off in mid-August.

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter.