Dan Cook: Gig up for Slocum? Web Posted : 11/22/2002 12:00 AM It's only in the strong rumor stage at this point, but it is speculation that is making the rounds on e-mail, fax machines and the Internet. That rumor says football coach R.C. Slocum will very soon be fired by Texas A&M. If there's any truth to what is making all the rounds, Slocum, the winningest coach in A&M football history, already has coached his last game for the Aggies. That seems strange, since A&M closes its regular season a week from today against old rival Texas at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin. Nevertheless, sources insist that R.C. will be fired days before the meeting with the Longhorns and a new head coach will either be in charge of the Aggies team or on his way to College Station. And who will that new A&M coach be for coming seasons? According to those same sources, Dennis Franchione, considered by some to be one of the hottest collegiate coaches in the country, already has resigned his post at Alabama and has accepted the head coaching job at Texas A&M. 'Bama officials, of course, refute that as the ninth-ranked Tide prepare for Saturday's headline showdown with intrastate rival Auburn. It's said that Franchione, who led TCU to new levels of success before accepting the Alabama job, became bitter after learning that Alabama, on probation, was hit with more penalties than he had been led to believe. Reports also say Franchione was free to leave Alabama because he never signed for the extension years on his contract. That extension is thought to be for the largest guaranteed salary in coaching history, $15 million over 10 years. San Antonio billionaire Lowry Mays, an influential member of the A&M board of regents, is also included in the rumor mill, as it was reported he recently was in Alabama. Thursday afternoon, Mays insisted he was not in Alabama. As a matter of fact, Mays said he is one of Slocum's big boosters. Slocum has compiled a 123-46-2 record (.719) in 14 years at A&M. Another interesting point explains that Missouri athletic director Michael Alden was Franchione's assistant AD when both were at New Mexico. According to the same rumor mill, Alden may be in a package deal in the A&M overhaul, replacing Wally Groff, longtime Aggies athletic director who was fired by A&M some weeks ago. It's believed that Alden has been pushed by Franchione to fill the vacant AD position. While Missouri was in College Station last week for the Tigers' matchup with the Aggies, Alden was given a full tour of Aggieland. If, indeed, this is Slocum's last hurrah at Texas A&M, it presents an unusual situation. Slocum has 16 strong recruits who already have committed to A&M. Of course, none of that is official until they sign scholarship agreements, but if Slocum is out, some of them might change their minds. Well, that's the rumor making the rounds now. if true, the rest of us in the Big XII better get worried.
I doubt very seriously that A&M would fire RC mid season, especially not right before the big game...they do need to fire his ass though.
For the 35 people who read this the first time around, the following is from Franchione's web site: I'm saying this for what seems like the millionth time -- the contract will be settled after the season ends. Details are being worked out by the people who do those things, and it should not be a topic for discussion during Auburn week, or any other week we have a game. The web editor says our email box is overloaded and my secretary says the phone has rung constantly about this. Give it a rest, please. I'm under contract for five more seasons. I'm sorry if for whatever reason you don't like us waiting until we do our jobs first or how I answer your questions. Nothing -- underline this, NOTHING -- will distract me, our assistant coaches, or our players from what we must accomplish on the field this Saturday, and the Saturday after that. I refused to answer the phone today after an idiotic story about Texas A&M in the San Antonio paper crossed my desk first thing this morning. I don't know how on earth these rumors get started and there's nothing I can do about them. I'd prefer to ignore them if people would let me. This shouldn't even warrant a response. But to put your mind at ease, nothing in that story or things reported to me from emails today is true. It all makes me angry because it takes away from what we should all be excited about this week, our game in one of the greatest college football rivalries in history. I'll repeat what I said a while back: R.C. Slocum is the head coach at Texas A&M, and he's a close friend of mine. To talk about speculation on his job would be unprofessional. He has his biggest rival Texas to prepare for and doesn't need or deserve all this rumor mill stuff.
Reading between the lines, I think he's gone. And, that sucks. 3 things to remember: Neuhiesel, Butch Davis, Mack Brown, Dennis Franchione (remember what he said the day before he left for Bama). Also, when Tomlinson was at the Heisman trophy presentation, he was alone. Franchione was already siddled up to the Bama representative.
