Following his retirement, Graham served as head coach of the
College All-Stars in their 1958 clash against the defending NFL champions, leading the squad to a convincing 35-19 victory over the
Detroit Lions. The following year, he accepted a full-time position as head football coach at the
Coast Guard Academy, where he served for seven seasons, leading the team to an undefeated regular season campaign in 1963. In that same year he coached the College All Stars to a 20-17 upset victory over
Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.
Between 1966 and 1968, Graham coached the
Washington Redskins, but whatever magic he had as an
NFL player disappeared on the sidelines as the team recorded a mark of 17-22-3 during that time period.
Graham and Lombardi would be linked again when Graham underwent surgery for
colorectal cancer in 1977, the disease that claimed Lombardi's life seven years earlier. Graham subsequently became a vocal supporter of early detection of the disease
Graham's 1963 CGA team was undefeated in the regular season but was trounced by a Western Kentucky team, 27-0 in the
Tangerine Bowl.
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