Slocum Named to College Football Hall of Fame
May 15, 2012 | Football
NEW YORK-R.C. Slocum, the all-time winningest head football coach in Texas
A&M history, has been named to the 2012 National Football Foundation &
College Football Hall of Fame today.
"I am very humbled by this honor," Slocum said from his ranch just north of
College Station. "This great game of college football has meant so much to me
through the years. To be able to join a group of coaches that I looked up to
and admired during my career, and now to be associated with them is an
unbelievable honor. This is validation of the players, the assistant coaches
and the entire staffs I was so fortunate to work with here at Texas A&M.
The 12th Man, our awesome student body and the former students, created an
atmosphere at Kyle Field that was also crucial to our success."
Slocum finished his head coaching career at Texas A&M with an overall
record of 123-47-2 in his 14 years. The 123 wins in his first 14 seasons ranked
eighth all-time at the close of his career joining the likes of Barry Switzer
(137), Tom Osborne (137), Steve Spurrier (132), Joe Paterno (131), LaVell
Edwards (129), Amos Alonzo Stagg (128) and Bud Wilkinson (124). At the time of
his 100th win, Slocum had reached that milestone quicker than any other active
head coach. Slocum reached the mark in his eighth game of his 11th season,
while Joe Paterno had reached 100 wins in the ninth game of his 11th year. The
14 years as an Aggie head coach tied Slocum with Homer Norton, a member of the
College Football Hall of Fame, for the longest head coaching rein in A&M
history and Slocum's combined 30 years (16 as an assistant coach at Texas
A&M) is the longest football coaching tenure in school history.
Slocum stocked the trophy case with six championships which included three
consecutive Southwest Conference crowns (1991-92-93), two Big 12 South
Championships (1997-98) in the first three years of the league's existence, as
well as hoisting the 1998 Big 12 Championship banner by defeating the nation's
top-ranked team, Kansas State, in double overtime. The 1997 Big 12 Championship
Game in San Antonio pitted the Aggies against a Nebraska squad that would go on
to win the national championship.
In the decade of the 1990's, Slocum compiled 94 victories which was the most by
any Division I football program in the state of Texas at that time. The Aggies
compiled an undefeated record of 10-0-1 for the best record in the SWC in 1994
despite not being eligible for another title. It marked the first Aggie
unbeaten season since Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and the Texas A&M football
team of 1956 finished 9-0-1.
Slocum was a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 1994 and was the league
Coach of the Year on four occasions. Texas A&M played in 11 bowl games in
Slocum's 14 years and five of those were New Year's Day bowl games. The Aggies
would finish in the Associated Press Top 25 on 10 occasions and finished
among the nation's Top 10 three times.
The Aggies were especially tough to beat at Kyle Field winning 85 percent of
the games played in College Station accumulating a 67-11-1 (.854) home record.
During Slocum's tenure, the Aggies compiled a 29-game unbeaten streak (1990-95)
as well as a 22-game unbeaten streak (1996-2000) at Kyle Field.
As Texas A&M closed out the Southwest Conference football era, Slocum's SWC
winning percentage of .865 (44-6-2) stands atop the record books ahead of
legendary Texas head coach Darrell Royal's .797 percentage. Royal and the
Longhorns won 21 straight league games from 1968-71 to establish a record, but
Slocum's Aggie teams from 1991-93 broke that mark by winning 22 straight
including the record-breaker against Texas, 18-9, in 1993.
A member of the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall
of Fame, Slocum had 64 players drafted by the NFL including eight first-round
selections.
As his victory totals increased, Slocum surpassed former Texas A&M head coaches
and Hall of Fame coaching legends such as Homer Norton, D.X. Bible and Paul
"Bear" Bryant.
"More important than the individual coaching records are the championships and
the accomplishments of the team," Slocum stated. "The true rewards in coaching
are seeing young men grow and mature into successful men and leaders in their
respective communities."
Making his coaching numbers even more impressive is the fact that of his 47
career losses, 23 were by seven points or less, and all but five of the losses
came at the hands of teams that were ranked in the Top 25 at some point of
their respective season.
In Slocum's final season (2002) as head coach in Aggieland, the Aggies defeated
the Associated Press top-ranked team, the Oklahoma Sooners, 30-26, with
Aggie offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin calling the plays. Sumlin, a two-time
finalist for national Coach of the Year honors, is the current head coach at
Texas A&M.
One of Slocum's shining moments as a true gentleman came during a period of
tragedy at Texas A&M. The annual Bonfire collapsed in 1999 and Slocum and
his players went to the scene to assist in any way possible which included
moving logs from the stack. At the Thanksgiving night memorial service at an
overflowing Kyle Field, Slocum's words and the actions of his players helped
some deal with their pain. The following day, the Aggies gave everything they
had on the gridiron and upset Texas, 20-16, to continue with the healing
process.
Before becoming the head coach at Texas A&M on Dec. 12, 1988, Slocum served
19 years as a collegiate assistant coach in three major conferences with 16
years at Texas A&M, two seasons at Kansas State and one season under John
Robinson at USC.
Under Slocum's defensive tutelage, the Aggies would be known for their
defensive style of play. As the Aggies won the 1985 SWC title, the birth of the
"Wrecking Crew" defense was coined by Chet Brooks as the defense led by
coordinator Slocum wrecked everything in sight including making four goal line
stops against Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson of Auburn in the 1986 Aggie
Cotton Bowl victory.
Born in Louisiana and raised in Orange, Texas, Slocum was a tight end at
McNeese State University and was honored by his alma mater as a Distinguished
Alumnus.
Slocum is currently a Special Assistant to Texas A&M President Dr. R. Bowen
Loftin and he continues to be active in many community affairs having served as
Chairman of the Children's Miracle Network in Central Texas, has been the grand
marshal at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade which helps raise money
for young people pursuing education in agriculture. In addition to his work
with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Slocum also is a major supporter of
the Scotty's House, a home for abused children and their families in the
Bryan-College Station community.
Slocum is married to the former Nel Jennings. Slocum has two sons, Shawn and
John Harvey. Both are Aggie graduates and Shawn is currently an assistant coach
on the Green Bay Packers staff with a Super Bowl Championship ring, and John
Harvey works in the oil industry in Houston.
Slocum will be honored at the National Football Foundation's Annual Awards
Dinner in New York City at the Waldorf=Astoria on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012.
TEXAS A&M PLAYERS & COACHES IN THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Dana X. Bible
Madison Bell
Paul "Bear" Bryant
Ray Childress
John David Crow
Dave Elmendorf
Joel Hunt
John Kimbrough
Charlie Krueger
Jack Pardee
Joe Routt
R.C. Slocum
Gene Stallings
Joe Utay
