Slocum has served as a special assistant to the president since retiring from coaching the Aggies in '02GETTY IMAGES
Former Texas A&M football coach R.C. Slocum will serve as the school's interim AD, and he will "bring stability to a program that was caught off-guard" by Scott Woodward's departure for LSU, according to Robert Cessna of the Bryan-College Station EAGLE. Slocum was A&M's coach from '88-'02 and has served as a special assistant to the president since retiring from coaching. Slocum said, "We're not falling off a cliff. Everything is fine at A&M and fine in our athletic department." Cessna noted Slocum had a "close relationship with Woodward which should make the transition easier." School President Michael Young in a statement said that it was "important to have an interim AD who is intimately familiar with the inner workings of college athletics and A&M." Many on social media are pushing for the 74-year-old Slocum to "have the interim tag removed, but he says that’s not going to happen" (Bryan-College Station EAGLE, 4/21). In Dallas, Ben Baby noted it is "unclear how long Slocum will serve in the interim capacity." A source said that Young "consulted A&M coaches, including head football coach Jimbo Fisher, before naming Slocum to the interim role." Young said that there is "no deadline for hiring Woodward's permanent replacement" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/20).
BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: In Houston, Brent Zwerneman noted Fisher is "expected to have a big say" on who is hired as the permanent AD (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/20). The DALLAS MORNING NEWS' Baby noted the new AD's "primary focus will be to keep things running smoothly for the next couple of years and protecting A&M's interests in the SEC." But one thing that "might give candidates pause is how many different ADs have been at A&M in recent years" (DALLASNEWS.com, 4/19).
