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Tuesday, December 3 Updated: December 4, 10:36 AM ET Slocum out after 6-6 season with A&M Associated Press |
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- R.C. Slocum won the most games in Texas A&M history and never had a losing record in 14 seasons. That still wasn't enough to keep his job.
Slocum was fired on Monday, three days after the Aggies closed the regular season with a 50-20 loss to rival Texas that clinched their first losing season in conference play in 18 years. The Aggies were 6-6 overall, matching the coach's worst record. "Although disappointed with (the) decision, I do recognize that the university has the right to decide who coaches the team,'' Slocum said in a prepared statement. "I've spent 30 years of my life here and have deep feelings for Aggieland.'' Slocum had a record of 123-47-2 for a .715 winning percentage that was second only to D.X. Bible, who had a .765 winning percentage. Still, A&M fans were disgruntled that the Aggies have become less competitive in the Big 12 South -- their 3-5 finish was their first losing record in league play since 1984. The Aggies have also lost to Texas in four of the past five seasons. Slocum resumed recruiting immediately after Friday's loss to the Longhorns, expecting to get another chance to revive the Aggies. "We had a season where we lost several close games that could have gone either way and no one was more disappointed than me with our record,'' Slocum said. "However, we have some really outstanding young players and I felt our future was bright.'' Slocum was 21-15 over the past three seasons, losing at least four games each year. In the 10 previous seasons, A&M lost as many as four games only twice. "I'm disappointed,'' said senior linebacker Brian Gamble. "He's a great guy and a great football coach and I hate to see that happen to him. The guy has been a father figure to me for four, almost five years. To see him go is really disheartening.''
Groff, the Aggies' athletic director since 1993, announced after an August meeting with Gates that he would resign so the new president could pick his own management team. Groff's resignation is effective Dec. 31, but his replacement hasn't yet been named. Slocum won four conference championships, including the Big 12 title in 1998. This year's 6-6 mark matched his worst with the Aggies -- A&M last went 6-6 in 1996. Only two coaches, Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Penn State's Joe Paterno, have won more games than Slocum since 1990. Slocum and Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer were the only active Division I-A coaches with 10 or more seasons who never had a losing season. Texas A&M regents chairman Erle Nye said Slocum would coach the Aggies if they receive a bowl bid. The Aggies are one of nine Big 12 teams eligible for a bowl.
"I believe the understanding is he would coach through any bowl,'' Nye said. "If you name somebody tomorrow, it would make sense for (Slocum) to take them out (on the field) and to leave the new coach to recruit.'' While at A&M, Slocum helped clean up a program that had landed on probation twice since the late 1980s. Slocum's stay also was tinged with tragedy. Four days before the final loss to Texas, Aggies freshman defensive lineman Brandon Fails died after collapsing in his dorm. Preliminary autopsy reports showed Fails died from a blood clot that formed as result of a leg injury and eventually traveled to his lungs. And in 1999, before its big game against Texas, the log stack for the university's traditional bonfire collapsed, killing 12 people and injuring 27. Slocum had been a part of A&M's football operations all but one year since 1972, when he joined Emory Bellard's A&M staff as offensive end coach. Slocum spent two years as a freshman coach at Kansas State before that. Since a 30-26 win over top-ranked Oklahoma, Texas A&M's only victory ever over a No. 1 team, the Aggies lost in double overtime to Missouri, and closed the regular season with the big loss to Texas. Slocum was picked as A&M's defensive coordinator under Tom Wilson in 1979. In 1981, he left to be defensive coordinator at Southern California but returned to A&M the following year when Jackie Sherrill became the Aggies' new coach. Slocum succeeded Sherrill in 1988. Slocum has three years remaining on a seven-year contract worth $1 million per season with a base salary of $300,000. Gates asked the coach to remain as an adviser to the president.
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