Gary McGraw joins the FSU program in 2010 after spending the last six years at Quincy (Ill.) where he was the defensive backs coach, special teams coordinator and co-linebackers coach prior to holding the role of defensive coordinator the last two years.

In his first season at the helm of the Hawks defense in 2008, McGraw led Quincy to its most sacks (21) as a team in three seasons. His defense also forced 26 turnovers, their most since the 2004 season.  While at Quincy, McGraw coached three NAIA All-Americans and 23 all-league performers.

“Gary’s had significant coaching experience on the defensive side of the ball and will be a nice addition to our staff,” said FSU head coach Jeff Pierce.  “He's had an excellent playing and coaching career and is well-prepared to lead our secondary.”

McGraw joined the Quincy staff in 2004 after beginning his coaching career on the prep level in Oregon where he was the co-defensive coordinator and special teams coach at Marist (Ore.) High School in 2002 and 2003. While there, Marist compiled a 23-1 record and captured a state championship in 2003 with a 13-0 record.

McGraw played collegiate football at the NCAA Division I level as a safety at the University of Oregon from 2000-01, helping the team win back-to-back Pac-10 Championships.  The Fremont, Calif., native was a member of the Ducks’ 2001 squad that won the Fiesta Bowl and finished the year ranked second in the Associated Press poll.  

He also attended Chabot Junior College for two seasons prior to arriving at Oregon.  As a sophomore, he led the nation in interceptions at the JUCO level while setting a school record with 13 interceptions. He was named the conference defensive player of the year and also earned all-state and All-America honors.  Recently, McGraw was inducted into the Chabot Football Hall of Fame.

McGraw graduated from Oregon in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and is nearing completion on his master's degree in Educational Leadership from Quincy.

"This is an exciting opportunity for me to coach in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) against many of the traditional powerhouses at the Divison II level," said McGraw.