Ralph Graham
| Sport(s) | Football, basketball, tennis |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born | August 16, 1910 |
| Died | October 14, 2005 (aged 95) Danville, Illinois |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1931–1933 | Kansas State |
| Basketball | |
| 1932–1934 | Kansas State |
| Position(s) | Fullback (football) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1934–1941 | Indiana (assistant) |
| 1942, 1946–1947 | Wichita |
| 1948–1950 | Kansas State |
| Basketball | |
| 1934–1942 | Indiana (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 21–39–1 (football) |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
Ralph Mevlin Graham (August 16, 1910 – October 14, 2005) was an American football, basketball, and tennis player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Municipal University of Wichita—now Wichita State University—in 1942 and from 1946 to 1947 and at Kansas State University from 1948 to 1950, compiling a career college football record of 21–39–1.
Graham, a native of El Dorado, Kansas, played football at Kansas State University under head coach Bo McMillin. Known as "Rammin' Ralph", he was a first team All-Big Six Conference fullback each year from 1931 to 1933. He nearly led K-State to the Rose Bowl in 1931 before getting injured. Following his senior season, Graham was a starter in the East–West Shrine Game, becoming the first Kansas State football player to be named to an all-star game. Graham graduated as the all-time leading scorer at Kansas State, and held that record for 64 years until it was surpassed by kicker Martín Gramática in 1997.
Upon graduation in 1934, Graham entered the football coaching profession as an assistant to McMillin, who moved from Kansas State to Indiana University that season. Graham remained an assistant football and basketball coach at Indiana until 1942, where he also earned a master's degree and was head coach of the tennis team. During this time, Graham was the top assistant for Branch McCracken's 1940 national championship basketball team.
Graham returned to Kansas in 1942 to serve as athletics director and head football coach at the University of Wichita, now Wichita State University. During his first season as head coach, Graham led Wichita to a 5–4 record, including a win over his alma mater. After taking the next three seasons off to serve in World War II, Graham returned to Wichita to coach two more successful seasons in 1946 and 1947. Following the 1947 season he led Wichita to the Raisin Bowl, played on January 1, 1948.
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