CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois football coach Nick Hill announced the addition of Gary McGraw to the SIU staff, where he will serve as defensive assistant and special teams coordinator. Prior to SIU, McGraw coached cornerbacks at Tulsa in 2022.
McGraw has 20 seasons of collegiate coaching experience, including six seasons at the FCS level (2016-21) where he helped Sam Houston State win a National Championship in 2020. He served as specials teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach at SHSU, which posted a 58-14 record, won three conference titles and advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs four times during his tenure.
“I think his experience across all levels of football, winning a National Championship at Sam Houston State, is extremely impressive,” Hill said. “He’ll work with special teams, but he’s coordinated defenses at different spots during his career, served as a recruiting coordinator, and is really just an all-around good football coach.”
McGraw tutored two of Sam Houston’s best players in cornerback Zyon McCollum, a four-time All-America selection and a 2022 fifth round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, plus cornerback Jaylen Thomas, an all-conference honoree for three seasons.
Before his stint at Sam Houston, McGraw spent five seasons as the defensive secondary coach and special team’s assistant at Midwestern State. He coached six All-Americans, eight all-region and 17 all-conference performers, while Midwestern completed a 42-12 record and won three Lone Star Conference titles.
The 2015 Midwestern team went 10-2 with three of McGraw’s defensive backs – cornerbacks Dominique Rouse, Dominique Williams and safety Marqui Christian – each earning All-America honors. Christian also garnered the 2015 Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Back of the Year and the National Defensive Player of the Year honors, in addition to becoming McGraw’s first NFL Draft pick as the Arizona Cardinals’ 5th round selection.
McGraw spent the 2011 season as the secondary coach at Ferris State, where he coached two all-conference defensive backs. Before that, McGraw coached six years at Quincy University, including his final two seasons as the defensive coordinator.
At Quincy, McGraw coached defensive backs and linebackers where he tutored three NAIA All-Americans and 24 all-league performers. He coached the secondary in 2004-2007, while handling the linebackers in his last two years.
“It’s gone full circle for me,” McGraw said. “I coached against Nick when he was a player here and I was at Quincy. You’re competing in one of the best conferences in the country. Somebody in this conference is going to be playing for a national title. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to help Nick, this staff and our players have that opportunity.”
