.png) Graves in 1965 Seminole yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 31, 1918 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | April 10, 2015 (aged 96) Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1939–1941 | Tennessee |
| 1942 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1943 | Phil./Pitt. Steagles |
| 1946 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Position(s) | Center / Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1944–1945 | Tennessee (line) |
| 1946–1950 | Philadelphia Eagles (line coach / scout) |
| 1951–1959 | Georgia Tech (assistant) |
| 1960–1969 | Florida |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1960–1979 | Florida |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 70–31–4 |
| Bowls | 4–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| SEC Coach of the Year (1960) University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1990 (profile) | |
Samuel Ray Graves (December 31, 1918 – April 10, 2015) was an American professional football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting center and team captain for the Volunteers under head coach Robert Neyland. After playing in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, he returned to Tennessee to serve as an assistant football coach, then left for a longer stint as an assistant at Georgia Tech under head coach Bobby Dodd. He was the head football coach at the University of Florida from 1960 until 1969, where he led the Gators to their most successful decade in program history up to that point. While at Florida, he recruited and coached Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier, who often praised Graves as a role model and mentor during his own successful coaching career. Graves also served as Florida's athletic director from 1960 until his retirement in 1979.