Santa Fe High Hires Graham As Football Coach

The Santa Fe High Raiders hired former Florida Gators running back Earnest Graham to be their head football coach on Saturday.

Graham is the team’s fourth head coach since 2022. He hopes to turn around the struggling program which has won just two games since 2021.

Santa Fe hired a great Gator coach in Earnest Graham!!!! pic.twitter.com/q9ViMb9Ntb

— Coach Jackson (@JacksonMat3528) February 8, 2025

Graham’s Resume

Graham, a Fort Myers native, began his playing career at Mariner High School where he was named Mr. Florida in 1997. He then committed to Florida and earned conference honors soon after. In 1999, he was an All-SEC freshman and in 2001 he was named to the All-SEC second team. As a Gator, Graham ranks fourth in rushing touchdowns and fifth in rushing yards all-time. In 2007, the Florida High School Athletic Association added Graham to the 100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years in Florida high school football list.

Graham’s legacy at Florida continues with his son, Myles, a freshman on the Gators football team. Myles had 30 tackles last season and was named to the All-SEC freshman team. He is a graduate of Buchholz High School.

Can’t wait to see Myles Graham in action next season pic.twitter.com/B7kWYRiDWT

— David Soderquist (@HightopDave) December 21, 2024

Following his time at UF, Graham signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 as an undrafted free agent.  He played eight seasons in the NFL before his career ended due to injury.

34 Days 'til Bucs Kickoff!
We're keeping #34 rolling with Earnest Graham. A longtime Buc who burst onto the scene in 2007. A fan favorite, throwback to his greatest plays in Tampa! @earnestgraham pic.twitter.com/h3y8p70d0E

— Liam Mitchell (Bucs Vault) (@BucsArchive1976) August 5, 2024

Graham has been coaching since the end of his playing career. In 2013, he took over the winless North Fort Myers team. By 2017, the team was undefeated and made the playoffs for the first time in more than 20 years. He then coached at Oasis in Cape Coral, Evangelical Christian in Fort Myers and Woodward Academy in Atlanta before coming back to Gainesville last season to coach at Gainesville High. Along with former Florida teammate Ian Scott, Graham helped lead Gainesville to five wins. The previous season, the team only had one.

Santa Fe’s Struggles

The Raiders are hoping for a similar outcome as Gainesville had with Graham. The team went 1-9 last season and failed to score in five games. The Raiders have not had a winning season since 2015. As one of only two Alachua County programs with two state titles, winning in 1990 and 1994, Santa Fe looks to get back to its winning history with Graham at the helm.

Other Gators In Region

Graham is not the first notable former UF football player to coach in the area. As mentioned, former Florida defensive lineman Ian Scott is the head coach at Gainesville High School, his alma mater. Cornelius Ingram, who played both football and basketball for Florida from 2004 to 2007, coaches at Hawthorne High School. Ingram led the team to a state championship appearance last season.

Former UF defensive back Demetric Jackson is the coach at Fort White.

Santa Fe’s New Season

With their new head coach locked in, the Raiders will begin their 2025 season in mid-August. They hope to find more success under Graham’s leadership.