Former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum will serve as the university’s interim athletic director while the Aggies search for Ross Bjork’s replacement, the school announced Monday. Bjork is set to depart Feb. 1 for the same job at Ohio State. 

Slocum, 79, won 123 games leading the Texas A&M football program from 1989-2002. It will mark his second stint as Texas A&M’s interim athletic director. He served in the role in 2019 when the university transitioned from Scott Woodward to Bjork. 

“Coach Slocum has been a champion for Texas A&M on and off the field for more than 50 years,” Texas A&M president Mark A. Welsh III said in a statement from the university. “His passion for this university, knowledge of Aggie athletics and commitment to the success of our student-athletes are second to none, and I’m grateful for his willingness to once again step into this role.” 

Slocum spent the better part of three decades as a member of Texas A&M’s coaching staff from the early 1970s up until his resignation as coach after the 2002 season. He initially served as an assistant for the Aggies from 1972-80 and again from 1982-88 — most of that period was spent as defensive coordinator. 

Slocum is the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. He guided the Aggies to three consecutive Southwest Conference championships from 1991-93 and later a Big 12 championship in 1998, which is Texas A&M’s most recent conference title to date. The Aggies went undefeated under his watch in 1994, posting a 10-0-1 record, but were ineligible for the Southwest Conference title and postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.