Longtime Texas A&M head coach RC Slocum has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, the program announced Tuesday.
Slocum announced via Facebook on Saturday that he had checked himself into the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, one of the leading cancer hospitals in the world, driven there by an illness that had not been identified at that time. "Please put me you on your prayer list," he wrote on Facebook. "I am a firm believer that God is in control and can still do miraculous things."
Slocum referenced a Monday meeting with his doctor, and on Tuesday he announced his diagnosis.
"I have been so encouraged by the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from friends everywhere," he said Tuesday. "I have great medical support and I will get started on this challenge as soon as possible. I have a strong faith and will trust for a positive outcome."
The 76-year-old will undergo chemotherapy in College Station, where he still resides.
A Louisiana native, Slocum entered coaching at Lake Charles High School in 1968 and moved into the college game in 1970. He arrived at Texas A&M in 1972 and would remain there for 30 of the next 31 seasons. Slocum was Tom Wilson's defensive coordinator in 1979-80 and, after a year at USC, ran Jackie Sherrill's defenses from 1982-88 before ascending to the big chair in '89.
His teams won three straight Southwest Conference titles from 1991-93 and produced a 10-0-1 season in 1994. Slocum's 1998 squad won A&M's only Big 12 championship.
The Aggies posted nine AP Top 25 finishes in Slocum's 14 seasons, including a run of three straight Top 10 finishes from 1992-94.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Here's wishing Slocum a full recovery and comfort for his family in this difficult time.
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