Former Texas A&M football coach R.C. Slocum diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma

Former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum has been diagnosed with a form of Hodgkin lymphoma, the school announced Tuesday.

Slocum, 76, was 123-47-2 in 14 seasons as the Aggies' head coach from 1989 to 2002. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and is currently serving as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee. His .865 winning percentage (44-6-2) in Southwest Conference games was the best in the conference's history.

The school said Slocum will undergo chemotherapy in College Station, Texas, where he still lives.

Slocum posted on Facebook over the weekend that he was undergoing tests at MD Anderson, a cancer center in Houston.

"I have been so encouraged by the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from friends everywhere," Slocum said in a statement. "I have great medical support and will get started on this challenge as soon as possible. I have a strong faith and will trust for a positive outcome."

Slocum, the winningest coach in Texas A&M history, is a fixture in College Station. He joined the Aggies as an assistant in 1972 and never left, other than one year as defensive coordinator at USC in 1981 before returning as defensive coordinator under Jackie Sherrill in 1982 and being elevated to head coach in 1989. Slocum again returned to duty as the Aggies' interim athletic director in 2019 between the departure of Scott Woodward for LSU and when Texas A&M hired Ross Bjork from Ole Miss.