January 05, 1998
Texas A&M outside linebackers and special teams coach Shawn Slocum has accepted a similar position on head coach Paul Hackett's Southern California staff, he announced today.
The 32-year old Slocum, who has been a member of the Aggie coaching staff since 1991, will oversee the Trojan linebackers and special teams. Prior to coming to A&M, Slocum served as a graduate assistant coach on Hackett's staff at the University of Pittsburgh.
"The position at USC was an opportunity that, professionally, I felt I couldn't turn down," Slocum said. "Texas A&M is a special place and I'm thankful I had the opportunity to work for my father. I appreciate everything the administration at A&M has done to facilitate that. But I had to look at it professionally and I'm very excited about working with Paul Hackett at USC."
Slocum initially coached the Aggie tight ends and special teams before shifting his coaching responsibilities to the defense and the outside linebackers in 1994, while still managing the special teams.
Last season Slocum oversaw one of the nation's top punting/placekicking tandems. Punter Shane Lechler finished the season as the Big 12 leader with a 47.1 average, which shattered the school record by nearly three yards, while placekicker Kyle Bryant connected on a school record 81.8 percent of his field goal attempts and all of his extra point attempts. Bryant finished his career with school records in field goals, points and field goal accuracy.
Among the other players Slocum has helped develop at Texas A&M are: tight end Greg Schorp (Dallas Cowboys), and outside linebackers Reggie Brown (Detroit Lions), Keith Mitchell (New Orleans Saints) and Antonio Armstrong (Miami Dolphins).
As a player at Texas A&M from 1983-84, Slocum was a member of the famed 12th Man Kickoff Team. Slocum, who received his degree in construction management from A&M in 1987, is married to the former Traci Sears. The couple has two children: Tayler (4) and Jordyn (2).