Slocum out

[Corso]

From the Dallas Morning News:

A&M to announce firing of R.C. Slocum
12/02/2002

By AL CARTER / The Dallas Morning News

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- R.C. Slocum, the winningest football coach in Texas A&M history and architect of one of the nation's most feared defensive dynasties, was fired on Monday by school officials.

Slocum, whose 14-year tenure as head coach matched the longest in school history, was dismissed after a 6-6 season that matched his worst at the Aggies' helm. The Aggies also finished 6-6 in 1996.

Slocum informed his players at a 4 p.m. team meeting at Kyle Field. A 5 p.m. news conference has been called to announce the firing.

Slocum had three years remaining on his contract at slightly more than $1 million per year.

Slocum, 58, departs having never posted a losing season as A&M's head coach. Slocum won four conference championships during his tenure, including the Big 12 title in 1998. But Slocum's final four years yielded only mediocre results. Since A&M's double-overtime victory over Kansas State in the 1998 Big 12 title game, Slocum's teams posted a 29-20 record.

His 2002 team will be the third straight A&M squad to finish out of the national top-25.

Slocum departs with a 123-47-2 record as the Aggies' head coach and a .721 winning percentage that ranks sixth nationally among active Division I-A coaches with at least five years on the job. Slocum's program ranked ninth nationally in winning percentage since 1989, his first season as A&M's coach.

Slocum's firing leaves Kansas State's Bill Snyder alone as dean of Big 12 coaches. Snyder took over at KSU in 1989.

Except for a one-year hiatus, Slocum had been a part of A&M's football operations every since 1972 when he joined Emory Bellard's A&M staff as offensive end coach. Prior to that, Slocum served two years as a freshman coach at KSU.

Slocum was named A&M's defensive coordinator under Tom Wilson in 1979. In 1981, he left to become defensive coordinator at Southern California but returned to his old job the following year when Jackie Sherrill was named the Aggies' new coach. Slocum succeeded Sherrill following the 1988 season.

A native of Orange, Texas, Slocum played college football at McNeese State, where he was a record-setting tight end.

[Guest]

too bad they didn't fire him when we were hiring a new coach boy did they make a huge mistake.

[Sam I Am]

Slocum had to go if A&M was going to win the Big 12. If Franchione comes to College Station, the Aggies will become a major force again int heir conference. As for whether SMU would be better off with Slocum than Bennett, probably yes - but I am glad we did not get an Aggie cast off.

[PX]

I cant help but wonder if Tulsa might be interested in that "castoff". Their head coach just resigned. Its interesting timing.

[Nacho]

How about RC at Baylor? That would be most interesting.

[Dubbya]

The list I saw had five coaches on Baylor's wish list. And R.C. wasn't one of them.

PX's idea of Baylor would be interesting. Somehow I don't see him stepping down that far — I'd assume he'd rather be a coordinator someplace than be a head coach at Tulsa. But that's just a guess.

If Coach Bennett makes any changes in his staff — what about R.C. as an assistant here? A longshot, I know, but he and Bennett are supposed to be pretty tight.

[Nacho]

Maybe RC will go to Alabama since Fran is going to A$M.

[PX]

The more I think about it the less likely it seems that Slocum would go tot Tulsa or any of these other places. He's still getting paid a million a year in his new job as "Special Assistant to the University President" and he has been at A&M for 30+ years. I think it would take an awful lot of money to get him to leave there, particularly for a job he would consider a step down.
Something a little more interesting: I have a friend who is a high school coach in the Dallas area who says he has already been contacted about an assistants job at Tulsa. They may have had a replacement in mind before Burns was forced out.

[PonyFan]

Slocum as an SMU assistant?
Dubbya's an idiot.
Nice idea, for recruiting purposes, but not going to happen. Besides, I don't know of any SMU coaches leaving.

[Corso]

Nacho:
Not so fast, my friend!

Fran might well end up in College Station, but he's not there yet. Consider:

* Bama is in a better conference (top to bottom)
* Bama is closer to being top dog in its state
* Tuscaloosa isn't paradise but it's a hell of a lot nicer than College Station
* He built a national power team at Bama even while the team is on probation, which is a remarkable accomplishment
* Bama is getting ready to come off probation soon - it's hard to imagine he'd coach there only when the team's on probation, and leave before getting a chance to enjoy the results of his work with a bowl game

Of course, with that said, A&M could back the Brinks truck up to his door and unload a huge sack of cash on Coach Fran - in which case, there's every chance he could bolt for the land of the crewcut.

And considering A&M had to pay a $3 million buyout to can Slocum, it seems to me the school wouldn't have made that move unless they already had his successor ready to sign on the dotted line.

[Nacho]

I base my argument on the fact that Fran have his word to 'Bama that he would not leave. Fran is going to A$M. No doubt in my mind. He is a great, great coach who will put the hurt on UT every year. If A$M fired RC without locking up Fran first then what can I say--they are Aggies after all.

[91Stang]

Nicely put, Nacho!

[PerunaPunch]

O.K., here's the plan:

A&M hires coach Fran with the expectation that the move will make A&M competitive with UT...

But UT pulls a fast one and hires Slocum to replace Mack Brown. UT already has the recruiting in place. Hiring Slocum would give UT a coach that might be able to win a big game.

LOL

[PonyFan]

That's awesome - I think I'm going to post that idea on a Texas message board.

[smudad]

Actually, Mack Brown already has a better offer. HBO is going to revive the old TV series, Green Acres. They've asked Mack Brown to sign a long term agreement to play Mr. Haynie. In fact, there's a rumor that Brown is Pat Butram's long lost son. The voice gave it away.