In a Sunday morning meeting between the Sun Devils’ head football coach and Arizona State Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson, Todd Graham learned of his firing after completing his sixth year at the helm.

Devils Digest was the first to report on Friday night that Anderson was going to dismiss Graham regardless of the results of Saturday’s Territorial Cup contest in Tempe versus Arizona. Therefore, even a comeback 42-30 win, and an overall 4-2 record versus ASU’s in-state rival wasn't enough to retain Graham here as head coach.

Team expectations were low coming into the 2017 campaign. The Pac-12’s media preseason poll picked the Sun Devils to finish fifth in the South division. Yet, ASU started conference play winning three of their first four games, and posted a 3-1 record in November, to finish 7-5, with a 6-3 Pac-12 mark good for second place in the South division.

During his ASU tenure, Graham compiled a record of 46-30, 31-23 in Pac-12 play. He won 28 (60 percent) of his games in his first three years, peaking in 2013 as he captured ASU’s first-ever Pac-12 South championship. His last here years though were in sharp contrast as he posted an 18-19 record, averaging six wins a year during that span.

The recruiting contact period begins today, which is why it was important for Anderson to act swiftly with his decision and prevent assistant coaches from taking to the road with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over their head. On that note, it will be imperative for Anderson to name a new head coach as soon as possible not only to salvage the recruiting class but also ensure that as many commits as possible will honor their pledge in the newly early signing period that runs from December 20-22.

Following Saturday’s game Graham said he expected to be as ASU’s head coach.

“Yes I do,” Graham said. “I think we’re making progress to where we need to be. But tonight’s about these seniors and the Territorial Cup.”

The differences in opinion between Graham and Anderson have come to a tipping point this morning, as ASU now searches for its fourth head coach in the last 17 years.