Bio

David Graham joined the UB Athletic Department as the Director of Campus Recreation and Wheeler Recreation Center in 2021. He currently oversees the daily operations of the state-of-the-art UB Fitness Center that opened in the Fall 2023, Wheeler aquatics center, brand new E-Sports Lounge and The Alley which is UB’s six-lane bowling center. Graham’s duties also include intramural, recreation, fitness, and wellness programming. He states, “We want a students’ visit to Wheeler Rec to be the best part of their day. We also want all students, staff and faculty to build healthy habits that they can take into their everyday life. Get involved, create positive habits, be better than you were yesterday and HAVE FUN!”  

Graham has worked in higher education for almost three decades. He started as Director of Student Activities and Recreation at Johnson & Wales University-North Miami. From there, Graham became the head men’s basketball coach in 1998. He also started and built the intercollegiate athletics program and became the Director of Athletics for JWU-North Miami in 2001 and remained in that position until 2016.  

Under his watch as the Director of Athletics for 15 years. the Wildcats’ varsity sports increased to 14 varsity programs and over 160 student-athletes. The athletic program became a full member of the NAIA as well as the Sun Conference during his tenure. Team and student-athlete success on the field of play and in the classroom was the standard. The men’s basketball program won the 2003 USCAA National Championship, Men’s Golf captured the 2005 NAIA National Championship, he hired several coaches that went on to win Coach of the Year honors, the Wildcats had dozens of NAIA All-Americans and had 100+ NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Graham also spearheaded the building of the Wildcat Center, which was the $10 million, 36,000sq ft home for JWU North Miami athletics, recreation, and student life.  

Graham has been no stranger to the world of Campus Recreation over the years either. He oversaw recreation, intramurals, and fitness programming at JWU for over 20 years. He ran the daily operations of the Wildcat Center athletic facilities including the basketball gym, fitness center and fitness studio. Graham was also a member of NIRSA and the SFRA (South Florida Recreation Association).  

As the men’s basketball coach at JWU, Graham finished his coaching career with 276 wins including 21 of those victories over NAIA nationally ranked opponents. He coached multiple NAIA and USCAA All-Americans, 16 All-Sun Conference players, as well as several players that continued to play professionally around the globe. He was also the Sun Conference men’s basketball chairman for five years.  

Graham played college basketball under Hall of Fame coaches, Vin Cullen and Charlie Wilkes, at the Community College of Rhode Island after earning All-State honors at West Warwick HS. He was a member of two teams that compiled a 51-9 record over two seasons and qualified for the NJCAA D1 National Championships in Hutchinson Kan., including an Elite 8 run during his sophomore season. Graham went on to play for Dan Kenney at UNC Pembroke where the team won a school-record 27 games in his junior year. 

Graham is married to his wife Nicole, and they have two daughters.