University of North Carolina Athletics
Harden To Be Inducted To Connecticut Hall of Fame
November 16, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
Former UNC Lacrosse Defenseman to be Inducted into Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - On November 19, former National Defenseman of the Year, Graham Harden, will be inducted into the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievements in lacrosse as both a player and coach. Read his bio below.
Graham Harden II, Class of 1991
Graham Harden began his high school career at New Canaan High School, making the varsity team as a freshman and starting at defense as a sophomore. Graham finished his high school career at Deerfield Academy, leading his lacrosse team to a Western New England Prep School League Championship during his senior season. Graham received All-Western New England honors in 1986 and 1987 and high school All-America honors in 1987.
Graham went on to play collegiately for the University of North Carolina where his teams won four straight ACC championships from 1988-1991. Graham was a captain on the 1991 team which had one of the finest seasons in college lacrosse history recording a 16-0 record and capturing the NCAA Division I National Championship. As a byproduct of his team's success, Graham received several individual honors. He was name First Team All-ACC and First Team All-America. Additionally, he was named ACC Player of the Year and received The William F. Schmeisser Award as the NCAA Division I Outstanding Defensemen of the Year. In 2002, Graham was one of 57 players selected to the ACC 50th Anniversary Men's Lacrosse Team.
After college, Graham played lacrosse in the United States Club Lacrosse Association with the Greenwich-based Shearson Bulls in 1992 and with the New York Athletic Club in 1993. He was named First Team All-Club both years. He and his brothers, Boyd and Holmes, were a part of the MAB Paints team that won the 1993 Vail Shootout.
Graham began his coaching career in 1992 at Wilton High School, helping the Warriors to a CT State championship. He again coached in 1998 at the University of North Carolina as the defensive coordinator. In 2005, Graham returned to coaching at the high school level and has not stopped since. While coaching at The Lovett School in Atlanta, he helped lead the team to a state title in 2005 and a state runner-up finish in 2006. Later in 2006, Graham and his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he joined the Mariemont High School coaching staff. In ten years, the Mariemont boys team has played in five state title games, winning three (2007, 2013, 2014). In 2014, Graham was named the US Lacrosse Assistant Coach of the Year for the Southern Ohio region. In addition to his coaching duties for the boys, he has also been a part of the girls varsity coaching staff at Mariemont since 2014.
Graham and his wife Dawn live in Terrace Park, Ohio and have three children, Kendall, Lindsay and Cole.