R. C. Slocum

College coach infobox
Name = R. C. Slocum


Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1944|11|7
Birthplace = flagicon|Louisiana Oakdale, LA
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
Title =
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 123-47-2
BowlRecord = 3-8
Awards =
Championships = Big 12 Championship (1998)
Big 12 South Division Championship (1997, 1998)
Southwest Conference Championship (1991, 1992, 1993)
CFbDWID = 2166
Player =
Years =
Team =
Position =
Player = Y
Years = 1965-1967
Team = McNeese State
Position = TE
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1968-1969
1970-1971
1972-1980
1981
1982-1988
1989-2002
CoachTeams = Lake Charles HS (DC)
Kansas State (asst.)
Texas A&M (asst.)
USC (DC)
Texas A&M (DC)
Texas A&M
FootballHOF =

Richard Copeland Slocum (born birth date|1944|11|7 [cite web|url=http://syracuse.scout.com/a.z?s=185&p=8&c=1&nid=404341|title=R.C. Slocum|publisher=Scout.com|accessdate=2007-10-16] ), better known as R. C. Slocum, was the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 1989 until 2002. He is the winningest coach in Texas A&M football history.

Personal

Raised in Orange, Texas, Slocum attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He has two sons, Shawn and John Harvey. Shawn served as an assistant on Slocum's staff and is now an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers. John Harvey is employed in oil field services. [cite web
last = Maisel
first = Ivan
authorlink =http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=Ivan_Maisel&rT=sports
title = Slocum under fire, but not feeling the heat
work =
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2002-11-25
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1467806&type=columnist
format = HTML
doi =
accessdate = 2007-03-12 ]

Personality

Slocum was also known for being a "down-home" kind of man. When on a recruiting trip in Orange, Texas in 1996, he accidentally tracked dog feces into the home of the recruit he was visiting. He got down on his hands and knees to scrub the carpet himself so that it wouldn't stain. The recruit then chose to play for A&M.

Slocum has been a big comfort to his players, and to the school, in times of tragedy. After the 1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse before the game against Texas, many students wondered if the game should even be played. On the night Bonfire would have burned, the school hosted a memorial service. 100,000+ mourners carried white candles to the site of the Bonfire collapse, and then marched together to Kyle Field. Slocum then delivered a touching speech that brought comfort to the mourners and instilled pride in the school. The Aggies' win the following day over Texas was a fitting cap to the week. In 2002, freshman player Brandon Fails died unexpectedly near the end of the season. Again, Slocum stepped up to try to comfort his players.

Post-coaching

After spending 30 of the last 31 years serving Texas A&M, Slocum was not quite ready to leave. He is currently a special advisor to the president of Texas A&M University and works for the Texas A&M Foundation. In 2006, Slocum was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Presently, he also serves as President of the American Football Coaches Foundation.

R.C. Slocum has also become a close friend of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, whose Presidential Library is located at Texas A&M. The Bushes often use Slocum's suite to watch Aggie football games, and Slocum and his wife have visited the Bush family at their vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Coaching career

Early career

Slocum began his career as a football coach at a Lake Charles high school in 1968. Two years later, in 1970, Slocum became a graduate assistant at Kansas State University under head coach Vince Gibson. In 1971, he was named Head Freshman Coach.

University of Southern California

Slocum spent the 1981 season as the defensive coordinator at the University of Southern California. The team was led by head coach John Robinson. Slocum's defense led the Pac-10 in total defense that season. [cite web|url=http://www.pac-10.org/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/pac10/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/release1-Records|title=2007 Pac-10 Football Guide Records] The team lost to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, finishing with a 9–3–0 record. [cite web|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=2002&year=1981|title=USC 1981]

Texas A&M

In 1972, Slocum was hired as a receiver coach under Emory Bellard at Texas A&M University. After one year of coaching the offensive line, he was promoted to coach the defensive ends, and in 1976, he became linebacker coach. Coach Bellard left A&M in 1978, moving on to Mississippi State and taking defensive coordinator Melvin Robertson with him. Former A&M offensive coordinator and new head coach Tom Wilson chose Slocum as his defensive coordinator in 1979. After serving USC as defensive coordinator in 1981, Slocum returned to A&M in 1982 and became defensive coordinator under head coach Jackie Sherrill. In 1985, Slocum was elevated to assistant head coach.

Head coach

In December 1988, R.C. Slocum was named head coach at Texas A&M. During his 14 years as head coach, R.C. led the Aggies to a record of 123-47-2, making him the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. During his career, Slocum never had a losing season and won four conference championships, including the Big 12 title in 1998. Additionally, he led the Aggies to become the first school in the Southwest Conference history to post three consecutive perfect conference seasons. Slocum reached 100 wins faster than any other active coach. He has the best winning percentage in SWC history, one spot ahead of the legendary coach Darrell Royal who is number 2. Slocum helped make A&M's Kyle Field become one of the hardest places for opponents to play, losing only 12 games at home in 14 years. For over a year, A&M held the longest home-winning streak in the nation, losing in 1989 and not again until late in 1995. In the 1990s, A&M lost only four times at Kyle Field. Slocum was named SWC Coach of the Year three times during his tenure as head coach. His "Wrecking Crew" defense led the SWC in four statistical categories from 1991 through 1993 and led the nation in total defense in 1991.

Over 50 Texas A&M players were drafted into the NFL during Slocum's career as head coach.

Slocum was well known for being unwilling to "bend" the rules. He inherited an Aggie football program under severe NCAA sanctions for being corrupt and cleaned it up quickly. He was quoted in 2002 as saying: "I wouldn't trade winning another game or two for my reputation as a person," he said in an interview last season. "I've said from day one I'm going to do things the way I think they should be done. There were those who said, `If you don't cheat, you're pretty naive. You can't win that way.' Well, we're going to find out. That's the way we're going to do it. I can walk away and look myself in the mirror and say, `We did it the right way.' " [cite web | last = Justice | first = Richard | title = Legacy of tenure at A&M is reform | work = | publisher = "Houston Chronicle" | date = 2002-12-03 | url = http://www.pngindians.com/news/2002/slocumfired.html | format = HTML | doi = | accessdate = 2007-03-12 ]

Slocum continually pressed Texas A&M to update the athletic facilities so that the university could compete with the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma in football recruiting. The university officials finally listened to his pleas and began a large facility expansion project. Unfortunately, this was too late to save Slocum. He was fired in 2002 after a 6-6 season, which included a win over number-one-ranked Oklahoma. He was succeeded by Dennis Franchione as head coach.

Coaching tree

Several former and current college coaches trace their lineage back to R. C. Slocum on his coaching tree:

*Phil Bennett, A&M defensive coordinator 1995-96, later coached Southern Methodist University
*Bob Davie, A&M defensive coordinator 1989-93, later coached University of Notre Dame
*Steve Ensminger, A&M offensive coordinator 1994-96, current Auburn University tight ends coach
*Mike Hankwitz, A&M defensive coordinator 1997-2002, later coached University of Arizona
*Steve Kragthorpe, A&M quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator 1997-2000, current University of Louisville head coach
*Gary Kubiak, A&M running backs coach 1992-93, current Houston Texans head coach
*Steve Marshall, A&M offensive coordinator 1997, current Cleveland Browns offensive line coach
*Mike Sherman, A&M offensive line coach 1989-93 and 1995-96, current Texas A&M University head coach
*Kevin Sumlin, A&M offensive coordinator 2001-02, current University of Houston head coach
*Bob Toledo, A&M offensive coordinator 1989-93, later coached UCLA and current Tulane University head coach
*Tommy Tuberville, A&M defensive coordinator 1994, current Auburn University head coach
*Alan Weddell, A&M inside linebackers coach 1998-2002, current University of Houston defensive coordinator

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Texas A&M Aggies
startyear = 1989
conf = Southwest Conference
endyear = 1995CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1989
name = Texas A&M
overall = 8-4-0
conference = 6-2-0
confstanding = T-2nd
bowlname = Sun
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = –
ranking2 = 20CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1990
name = Texas A&M
overall = 9-3-1
conference = 5-2-1
confstanding = T-2nd
bowlname = Holiday
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 13
ranking2 = 15CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1991
name = Texas A&M
overall = 10-2-0
conference = 8-0-0
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 13
ranking2 = 12CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1992
name = Texas A&M
overall = 12-1-0
conference = 7-0-0
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 6
ranking2 = 7CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1993
name = Texas A&M
overall = 10-2-0
conference = 7-0-0
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 8
ranking2 = 9CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1994
name = Texas A&M
overall = 10-0-1
conference = 6-0-1
confstanding = *
bowlname = *
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = –
ranking2 = 8CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1995
name = Texas A&M
overall = 9-3-0
conference = 5-2-0
confstanding = T-2nd
bowlname = Alamo
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 = 15CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Texas A&M
overall = 68-15-2
confrecord = 44-6-2CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Texas A&M Aggies
startyear = 1996
conf = Big 12 Conference
endyear = 2002CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1996
name = Texas A&M
overall = 6-6
conference = 4-4
confstanding = 3rd (South)
bowlname = —
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = –
ranking2 = –CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = division
year = 1997
name = Texas A&M
overall = 9-4
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 1st (South)
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 21
ranking2 = 20CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1998
name = Texas A&M
overall = 11-3
conference = 7-1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 13
ranking2 = 11CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1999
name = Texas A&M
overall = 8-4
conference = 5-3
confstanding = T-2nd (South)
bowlname = Alamo
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 20
ranking2 = 23CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2000
name = Texas A&M
overall = 7-5
conference = 5-3
confstanding = 3rd (South)
bowlname = Independence
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = –
ranking2 = –CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2001
name = Texas A&M
overall = 8-4
conference = 4-4
confstanding = T-3rd (South)
bowlname = galleryfurniture.com
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = –
ranking2 = –CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2002
name = Texas A&M
overall = 6-6
conference = 3-5
confstanding = 5th (South)
bowlname = —
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = –
ranking2 = –CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Texas A&M
overall = 55-32
confrecord = 34-22CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 123-47-2
bcs =
poll = two
polltype =
extrafootnotes = * A&M was ineligible.

References