After the 2021 season, multiple Hawaii players alleged mistreatment by Graham. One player said, "Graham has killed our love and passion of football." This led to numerous Hawaii players entering the transfer portal, including his son, Michael Graham. The curiosity over the transfers even led to a meeting by the Hawaii State Senate inquiring about the issue on January 7, 2022. The meeting included a group of players and family testifying, with numerous accounts criticizing Graham and his conduct, with one account involving him calling a player playing the ukelele as "f---ing annoying" while calling Hawaii a "third world country" for not having Dr Pepper in the vending machines.
