R. C. Slocum
Encyclopedia
Richard Copeland Slocum (born November 7, 1944), better known as R. C. Slocum, was the head football
coach at Texas A&M University
from 1989 until 2002. He has won more games as coach (123) than anyone else in Texas A&M football history.
, 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 which helped his father on to his winning record and is now the Special Teams Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers
. John Harvey is employed as Global Account Manager for LeTourneau Technologies.
under head coach Vince Gibson. In 1971, he was named Head Freshman Coach.
. The team was led by head coach John Robinson
. Slocum's defense led the Pac-10 in total defense that season. The team lost to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl
, finishing with a 9–3 record.
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. Slocum substituted for Sherrill and served as acting head coach for A&M's 18–0 victory over TCU during the 1988 season which was Sherrill's last.
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 that had just finished 7-5 and under severe NCAA sanctions, and cleaned it up quickly. He was quoted in 2002 as saying:
The critics of Slocum cited his below .500 bowl record. Slocum went only 3–8 in bowls, and 0–4 in major bowls (The 1999 Sugar Bowl and the 1992, 1993 and 1994 Cotton Bowl Classics, which were then considered major). However, of his opponents, four (Florida State,Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State) were ranked number 1 for most of the season in which he played them and the Aggies were underdogs in the games.
Slocum continually pressed Texas A&M to update the athletic facilities so that the university could compete with rivals Texas and Oklahoma in football recruiting. Officials finally listened to his pleas and began a large facility expansion project. 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.Two of the losses (Texas Tech, Missouri) were in double overtime. He never got to use the facilities that he had worked so hard to get. He was succeeded by Dennis Franchione
as head coach.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
from 1989 until 2002. He has won more games as coach (123) than anyone else in Texas A&M football history.
Personal
Raised in Orange, TexasOrange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, Slocum attended McNeese State University
McNeese State University
McNeese State University is a public university located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the United States. Founded in 1939 as a junior college, McNeese experienced growth due to economic activity in the region. It adopted its present name in 1970....
in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
. He has two sons, Shawn
Shawn Slocum
Shawn Slocum is the special teams coach for the National Football League Green Bay Packers.-Personal:...
and John Harvey. Shawn served as an assistant on Slocum's staff which helped his father on to his winning record and is now the Special Teams Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. John Harvey is employed as Global Account Manager for LeTourneau Technologies.
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 UniversityKansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
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 CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. The team was led by head coach John Robinson
John Robinson (football coach)
John Alexander Robinson is a former American football player and coach best known for his two stints as head coach of the University of Southern California football team and for his tenure as head coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
. Slocum's defense led the Pac-10 in total defense that season. The team lost to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
, finishing with a 9–3 record.
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 receivers, he was moved to defense 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 RobertsonMelvin Robertson
Melvin Robertson is a former American football coach. He was considered as one of the top defensive minds in football during the 1970s and 80s....
with him. Former A&M offensive coordinator and new head coach Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson (American football)
-References:...
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
Jackie Sherrill
Jackie Sherrill is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Washington State University , the University of Pittsburgh , Texas A&M University , and Mississippi State University , compiling a career college football record of 180–120–4...
. In 1985, Slocum was elevated to assistant head coach. Slocum substituted for Sherrill and served as acting head coach for A&M's 18–0 victory over TCU during the 1988 season which was Sherrill's last.
Head coach
In December 1988, R.C. Slocum was named head coach at Texas A&M. During his 14 years as head coach, Slocum 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 and two Big 12 South Championships, 97,98. Additionally, he led the Aggies to become the first school in the Southwest Conference history to post three consecutive perfect conference seasons and actually went four consecutive seasons without a conference loss. 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 RoyalDarrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
who is number 2. Slocum helped make A&M's Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
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 that had just finished 7-5 and under severe NCAA sanctions, and cleaned it up quickly. He was quoted in 2002 as saying:
The critics of Slocum cited his below .500 bowl record. Slocum went only 3–8 in bowls, and 0–4 in major bowls (The 1999 Sugar Bowl and the 1992, 1993 and 1994 Cotton Bowl Classics, which were then considered major). However, of his opponents, four (Florida State,Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State) were ranked number 1 for most of the season in which he played them and the Aggies were underdogs in the games.
Slocum continually pressed Texas A&M to update the athletic facilities so that the university could compete with rivals Texas and Oklahoma in football recruiting. Officials finally listened to his pleas and began a large facility expansion project. 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.Two of the losses (Texas Tech, Missouri) were in double overtime. He never got to use the facilities that he had worked so hard to get. He was succeeded by Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
as head coach.