Upper Iowa University Athletics Hall of Fame
CARL HARGRAVE, a 1976 graduate of Upper Iowa University, lettered in football four times, was named a First Team Defensive Back, picked up All-Conference honors four times, and was named the Conference’s Most Valuable Defensive Player in 1975. Hargrave was part of a team that collected many N.C.A.A. records. Hargrave was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1976 draft.
After his playing days, Hargrave began his coaching career at Upper Iowa University (1977 -1980) before becoming an Assistant Coach at Central High School in Waterloo, Louisiana. Hargrave then moved alongside his soon-to-be longtime mentor, Dennis Green, at Northwestern University where he coached the offensive line, running backs and tight ends (1981-1986). The Wildcats staff earned 1982 Big Ten Staff of the Year honors. After a one-year stint at the University of Pittsburgh (1986), Hargrave spent six seasons at the University of Houston (1987-1992).
In 1992, after coaching the wide receivers in Houston’s “Run and Shoot” offensive system that made Andre Ware a famous college quarterback, he made the jump to the University of Iowa under Head Coach Hayden Fry, bringing Hargrave closer to his hometown of Iowa City, IA.
Hargrave’s previous relationship with Dennis Green then led him to the National Football League, where he racked up 11 years of coaching experience. From 1994 to 2001, he was the running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings before he followed Green to the Arizona Cardinals, serving as an offensive consultant and tight ends coach from 2004-2006. Finally in 2009, Hargrave was named head coach at Mesa Community College in Arizona.
Today, Hargrave is a CEO and President of This Is It! Sports, powered by Voice America – the leader in internet media. He serves as an online sports talk-show host, which focuses on football but also encompasses youth sports, athletic and personal development and sportsmanship.
