Jan. 12, 2007

Chris Del Conte Press Conference Transcript
Players Transcript

Rice University Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said Friday that the search for Todd Graham's successor as the Owls head football coach is off to a fast start.

"Today my phone is burning off the hook with guys who were not applying for this job a year ago," he told a morning news conference at Rice Stadium. " They want to come to Rice now because Todd proved that you can win here."

Graham, who led the Owls to their first bowl berth in 45 years, was to be introduced this afternoon in Oklahoma as the new head coach for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Del Conte indicated that he would work with Rice President David Leebron to immediately assemble a committee to begin the processing the list for candidates to fill the football coaching vacancy.

"I can tell you that we are going to move very quickly. The iron is hot," Del Conte stated. "It's wide open and all candidates will be considered. We are coming off a bowl game, seven wins, and have the nucleus of a great football team coming back and a great recruiting class in place. We're going to get someone in here in short order who is going to take what Todd taught us and hit the ground running and build upon the foundation".

"I want to stress to everyone, it's not about the man, it's about the program." Del Conte added.

Graham, 42, was 7-6 in his one season at Rice. He led the Owls to 6-2 finish in the Western Division and their first bowl game in 45 years. The Owls closed the regular season with six straight wins before losing 41-17 to Troy in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The Owls six-win improvement matched the best effort in school history.