A little Gators history
- Thread starter stephenPE
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- Aug 1, 2018
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Met Coach Graves when I was a student. Fine gentleman and brought Florida into football significance.
- Jun 23, 2020
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Why was Graves forced out after going 9-1-1 in 1969? Never made sense to me.
- Jun 11, 2014
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- Jul 23, 2014
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I was visiting my Godmother up in Carrollwood north of Tampa in the late 90's.
She said that I needed to meet her neighbor, so we walked across the street.
She rang the doorbell and Ray Graves answered.
Hung out with him for about 30 minutes while he showed me his Gator memorabilia in the garage... great guy, very nice and full of good stories.
- Feb 15, 2016
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Actually he wasn't forced out. He had made the decision to retire the year before but the freshman team was a juggernaut. He stayed as head coach for the Super Frosh year and then retired as head coach.
- Aug 11, 2015
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Yep. And he had a lot to do with hiring Doug Dickey, who was a Gator. Now Doug was forced out.
- Jun 19, 2014
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Funny twist.
Ray Graves was from Knoxville and played for Tennessee and was later a position coach at Tennessee. He became the coach at Florida but it was because of his Tennessee connections that he recruited a kid from Tennessee named Steve Spurrier that put Florida on the map.
Doug Dickey was a former UF QB. He became a very successful head coach at Tennessee.
In '69, Graves coached the Super Sophs to a great record (but for Auburn putting in a rudimentary zone defense in an era where no college QB had ever seen a zone defense--John Reaves threw 9 ints--we would have won the SEC, maybe a natty).
Graves decided to step down as head coach and become the AD. Everybody thought the super-popular DC Gene Ellenson (of "the letter" fame) would be promoted. Instead, the powers-that-be decided to bring back the Gator QB hero from Tennessee to be the head coach.
By a twist of fate, Florida played Tennessee in a bowl game that year.
The decision to snub Ellenson and hire Dickey was made before the bowl game, but was a poorly kept secret. Vols players knew their coach was leaving them for the other team and Gator players knew the guy they wanted had been passed over.
Graves (and Ellenson) and the Gators beat Dickey's Vols (a rare occurrence back then) in the bowl game and then the official announcement was made that the losing coach was going to be the new head coach for the winning team.
I was reminded of this incident when Louisville played Cincinnati in a bowl game this year and Scott Satterfield had been hired from Louisville to Cincinnati while Jeff Brohm, former Louisville QB, was being brought back as head coach. Not exactly the same scenario, but close.
Dickey never lived up to the expectations at UF, although he did usher us through the difficult integration period.
Ray Graves was a fine gentleman. I was fortunate enough to meet him once.
Alex.
Ray Graves was from Knoxville and played for Tennessee and was later a position coach at Tennessee. He became the coach at Florida but it was because of his Tennessee connections that he recruited a kid from Tennessee named Steve Spurrier that put Florida on the map.
Doug Dickey was a former UF QB. He became a very successful head coach at Tennessee.
In '69, Graves coached the Super Sophs to a great record (but for Auburn putting in a rudimentary zone defense in an era where no college QB had ever seen a zone defense--John Reaves threw 9 ints--we would have won the SEC, maybe a natty).
Graves decided to step down as head coach and become the AD. Everybody thought the super-popular DC Gene Ellenson (of "the letter" fame) would be promoted. Instead, the powers-that-be decided to bring back the Gator QB hero from Tennessee to be the head coach.
By a twist of fate, Florida played Tennessee in a bowl game that year.
The decision to snub Ellenson and hire Dickey was made before the bowl game, but was a poorly kept secret. Vols players knew their coach was leaving them for the other team and Gator players knew the guy they wanted had been passed over.
Graves (and Ellenson) and the Gators beat Dickey's Vols (a rare occurrence back then) in the bowl game and then the official announcement was made that the losing coach was going to be the new head coach for the winning team.
I was reminded of this incident when Louisville played Cincinnati in a bowl game this year and Scott Satterfield had been hired from Louisville to Cincinnati while Jeff Brohm, former Louisville QB, was being brought back as head coach. Not exactly the same scenario, but close.
Dickey never lived up to the expectations at UF, although he did usher us through the difficult integration period.
Ray Graves was a fine gentleman. I was fortunate enough to meet him once.
Alex.
- Jun 9, 2014
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- Sep 6, 2019
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