Texas A&M Honors R.C. Slocum with Statue and Dedication

COLLEGE STATION – R.C. Slocum, the all-time winningest head football coach in Texas A&M history, will be honored Friday, Sept. 4, at 2 p.m. with the unveiling of a statue outside the north end of Kyle Field.

"Coach R.C. Slocum’s legacy at Texas A&M reaches far beyond the football field,” Texas A&M University President Susan Ballabina said. "His integrity, leadership and commitment to our student athletes have helped shape our university and strengthened our Aggie Spirit for generations. We are proud to honor a coach whose impact continues to inspire our campus and community.”

In addition to being the winningest football coach in Aggie history, Slocum closed out the Southwest Conference football era with the best winning percentage (.865) in SWC history, compiling a 44-6-2 league record.

“Coach R.C. Slocum is not only the winningest head football coach in Aggie and Southwest Conference history, but he has served Texas A&M selflessly and with great integrity,” Aggies Director of Athletics Trev Alberts said. “Coach Slocum has been a tremendous ambassador for Texas A&M and college football. He has been an invaluable resource for me and continues to stay involved here in Aggieland. He is very deserving of this honor.”

“When I arrived at Texas A&M in 1972, I could never have imagined the journey that lay ahead,” Coach R.C. Slocum said. “The opportunity to coach, teach, and be part of the Aggie family has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. This statue is a tremendous honor, but it really represents the many outstanding players, coaches, colleagues, and Aggies who shared that journey with me. Nel and I are deeply grateful for the friendships and memories that Texas A&M has given our family, and we will always cherish being a part of Aggieland.”

The statue was created by Steven Whyte of Carmel, California, and commissioned by Fred Caldwell and Brad Freels with the support of friends of Coach Slocum, along with the 12th Man Foundation. Whyte also created the John David Crow statue at the north end of Kyle Field and the War Hymn statue on the east side of Kyle Field. The War Hymn statue depicts 12 Aggie students locking arms and swaying back and forth to the chorus of the Aggie War Hymn, serving as a tribute to Aggie students past, present and future.

Slocum has been recognized with some of the most prestigious honors in college football and the state of Texas. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 and the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

In 1999, Slocum received the Houston Touchdowner Award from the Houston Touchdown Club. In 2004, he received a citation of honor from the Football Writers Association of America for his long and honorable career in college athletics and his contributions to football. In 2011, Slocum received the General Neyland Award from the Knoxville Quarterback Club.

Slocum was named to the prestigious Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in 2013.

In 2014, he was named the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award winner by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and received the Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016, Slocum was honored with the Rube Foster Award by the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, Slocum was named to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, where he served through 2021.

In November, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame will present Slocum with the prestigious Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first Aggie and first football coach to receive the honor. Established in 2006, the award is the Texas Sports Hall of Fame’s highest honor and recognizes individuals whose leadership, vision and service have made a lasting impact on sports in Texas and beyond.

Slocum finished his head coaching career at Texas A&M with an overall record of 123-47-2 over 14 seasons (1989-2002). At the time of his 100th win, Slocum reached the milestone faster than any other active head coach, doing so in the eighth game of his 11th season. He never had a losing season, finished in the Associated Press Top 25 on 10 occasions and finished in the Top 10 three times.

Slocum’s 14 years as Aggie head football coach ties him with Homer Norton (1934-47) for the longest head coaching tenure in Texas A&M history. His combined 30 years of coaching at Texas A&M, including 16 seasons as an assistant coach, is the longest football coaching tenure in school history.

Slocum stocked the Aggie trophy case with six championships, including three consecutive Southwest Conference Championships (1991-92-93) and two Big 12 South Championships (1997-98). He also led the Aggies to the 1998 Big 12 Championship, defeating the nation’s top-ranked team, Kansas State, in double overtime. Slocum led the 1994 Aggie team to the best record in the SWC at 10-0-1 as well.

The Aggies were especially tough to beat at Kyle Field, posting a 67-11-1 (.854) home record during Slocum’s tenure. During his career, the Aggies compiled a 29-game unbeaten streak (1990-95) as well as a 22-game unbeaten streak (1996-2000) at Kyle Field.

A gentleman on and off the field, Slocum and his team stood tall during a period of tragedy. Following the Bonfire collapse of 1999, Slocum and his players went to the scene to assist in any way possible. At the Thanksgiving night memorial at Kyle Field, Slocum’s words and the actions of his players helped the Aggie community deal with some of the pain. The following day, the Aggies went out and gave everything they had before 86,129 fans, a record football crowd in the State of Texas at the time, and defeated the Texas Longhorns, 20-16, helping to assist the healing process.

After his Aggie coaching career ended, Slocum had offers to coach at other programs but chose to remain in Aggieland as a Special Assistant to the Texas A&M President. He also served two terms as interim Director of Athletics. He officially retired on Jan. 2, 2025.

Slocum was initially hired at Texas A&M as an assistant football coach by Emory Bellard on Jan. 2, 1972.

Slocum, born Nov. 7, 1944, is married to the former Nel Jennings. The couple has two sons, Shawn and John Harvey, both of whom graduated from Texas A&M, as well as many grandchildren who have earned Aggie degrees.