The Texas A&M Aggies football program represents Texas A&M University in the sport of American football. The Aggies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Texas A&M football claims three national titles and 18 conference titles. The team plays all home games at Kyle Field, a 102,733-person capacity outdoor stadium on the university campus.

History

Early history (1894–1964)

1901 Aggies players

Texas A&M first fielded a football team in 1894, under the direction of head coach F. Dudley Perkins. The team compiled a 1–1 record. W. A. Murray served as A&M's head coach from 1899 to 1901, compiling a record of 7–8–1. From 1902 to 1904, J. E. Platt served as A&M's head coach, his teams compiling a record of 18–5–3. From 1909 to 1914, A&M compiled a 38–8–4 record under head coach Charley Moran. Moran's 1909 team finished undefeated, and all but one of Moran's other seasons the Aggies only lost one game each year. Under head coach Edwin Harlan, the Aggies compiled a record of 12–5 in two seasons and joined the Southwest Conference.

Coach Bible

Dana X. Bible became Texas A&M's head coach in 1919, leaving LSU, and under his tutelage the Aggies compiled a record of 72–19–9 in ten seasons. Bible's 1919 Texas A&M Aggies football team, which was undefeated, untied, and outscored its opposition 275–0, was retroactively named a national champion by the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation. In the 1922 Dixie Classic, Bible made his most visible and lasting impression in his A&M career when he began the Twelfth Man Tradition. Bible had a roster of only eighteen players, who had to play both offense and defense against the heavily favored Centre College. He lost three players to injuries early in the game, but the Aggies took the lead. Fearing more injuries and a possibility of having to forfeit the game for lack of men, Bible called upon a reserve halfback, E. King Gill, who was in the press box running stats for the team, to suit up and be ready if needed. The Aggies wouldn't need Gill's help to win, but since then A&M students stand throughout football games to show their willingness to play if needed. Bible departed the Aggies after the 1928 season to accept the Nebraska head coaching position. After Bible's departure, A&M brought in Matty Bell from TCU to lead the Aggies football program. Under Bell's tutelage, the Aggies compiled a record of 24–21–3. However, the Aggies did not play up to the standards set by Dana Bible's tenure, and Bell left for SMU after five seasons. Homer Norton was hired away from Centenary to replace Bell in 1934. A&M enjoyed great successes under Norton. The 1939 Texas A&M team went 11–0, beating Tulane in the Sugar Bowl, and was named a national champion. Norton's record at Texas A&M was 82–53–9, giving him the second most wins of any coach in Texas A&M Aggies football history. Among the many stars that Norton developed were John Kimbrough and Joe Routt. Norton was fired in 1947 when his team went 3–6–1 and lost to archrival University of Texas for the eighth straight year.

In December 1947, Harry Stiteler was promoted from running backs coach to head coach for the Texas A&M football team following the firing of Homer Norton. In Stiteler's first season as head coach, the Aggies failed to win a game, accumulating a record of 0–9–1. For the 1949 season, the Aggies won only one game and had a record of 1–8–1. Despite the poor record in his first two seasons, Stiteler developed a reputation as a good recruiter. In 1950, Stiteler turned the program around with a 7–4 record, including impressive wins over Arkansas (42–13) and SMU (25–20) and a 40–20 win over Georgia in the Presidential Cup Bowl at Baltimore. The 1950 team had the best record of any Texas A&M football team in the first decade after World War II (1945–1954). In December 1950, Stiteler reported that he had been attacked and beaten by a stranger near the Shamrock Hotel in Houston, where Stiteler had been scheduled to address a group of Texas A&M alumni. Stiteler tried to downplay the incident, but the press reported Stiteler declined to provide details to the police and that there were conflicting versions as to what had happened. The San Antonio Light reported the incident under a banner headline, "MYSTERY SHROUDS STITELER BEATING." In March 1951, Stiteler admitted that he had misrepresented the facts concerning the assault. He reported that he had known his attacker and "the affair was a personal one." Embarrassed, Stiteler submitted his letter of resignation to the President of Texas A&M upon revealing the true facts concerning "my affair in Houston." Following the resignation, the members of the football team issued a statement in support of their former coach:

"We believe that whatever happened to Mr. Stiteler was a personal matter and it should have remained that. A lot of us boys came to A. and M. in 1948 not because A. and M. had won games but simply because of Harry Stiteler and his character. He has never ceased to set us that same example in the years we have played and worked for him."

In three years as the head coach at Texas A&M, Stiteler compiled a record of 8–21–2. Raymond George, previously USC's defensive line coach, was hired as the 17th head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies after the Stiteler scandal. He served as head coach for three seasons, from 1951 to 1953, during which time the Aggies produced a total record of 12–14–4. Among A&M's notable wins during this time period were victories over Bud Wilkinson's Oklahoma Sooners, Henry Russell Sanders' UCLA Bruins and Bear Bryant's Kentucky Wildcats. George resigned as the Aggies head coach following the 1953 season. In 1994 as a result of the NCAA findings of major violations of NCAA rules in this case, Texas A&M became one of three universities to receive as many as seven public penalties since 1952. Between 1956 and 1977, the university was placed on probation three times and publicly reprimanded once for major violations of NCAA rules. This era began a series of NCAA rules violations that continued to 2020.

Legendary coach Bear Bryant arrived in College Station after successful head coaching tenures at Maryland and Kentucky, signing a contract worth $15,000 per year. The Aggies suffered through a grueling 1–9 record in Bryant's first season, which began with the infamous training camp in Junction, Texas, during which time many Aggie football players quit the team. The "survivors" were given the name "Junction Boys." Two years later, Bryant led the team to the Southwest Conference championship, despite being on probation, with a 34–21 victory over Texas in Austin. The following year, star running back John David Crow won the Heisman Trophy and the Aggies were in title contention until they lost to Rice Owls. Bryant attempted to integrate the all-white Texas A&M squad. "We'll be the last football team in the Southwest Conference to integrate," he was told by a Texas A&M official. "Well," Bryant replied, "then that's where we're going to finish in football." After the 1957 season, having compiled an overall 25–14–2 record at A&M, Bryant left for Alabama, his alma mater, where he would cement his legacy as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, college football coach of all time.

A&M next turned to Iowa State head coach Jim Myers for its head coaching position. Under Myers, the Aggies struggled mightily, compiling a 12–24–4 record. The Aggies failed to win more than four games in a single season. The fallout that ensued from fans, boosters and the administration led Myers to join Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys staff as an assistant coach. Hank Foldberg was hired as the Aggies head coach after Myers' departure, and brought with him high hopes that Aggie success would return. However, the struggles remained, in the form of a 6–23–1 record in three seasons. Foldberg was replaced after the 1964 season.

Gene Stallings era (1965–1971)

Coach Stallings

Fresh off helping Bear Bryant and Alabama win the 1964 national title as an assistant coach, Gene Stallings, one of the "Junction Boys", was named the head coach of his alma mater at the age of 29. The Aggies struggles persisted under Stallings. Texas A&M compiled a record of 27–45–1 in Stallings' seven seasons. However, the Aggies won the Southwest Conference in 1967, Stallings' only winning season at A&M. At the end of that season, A&M beat Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. During Stallings' tenure, the Aggies won the Southwest Conference in 1967, Stallings' only winning season at A&M. At the end of that season Stallings led Texas A&M to a victory over Alabama and mentor Bear Bryant in the Cotton Bowl, a victory where Coach Bryant carried Coach Stallings off the field. With the university only recently going co-ed, its military focus and the ongoing war in Vietnam, A&M struggled to recruit against its Southwest Conference rivals. He was fired at A&M following the 1971 season, but, like his mentor Bryant, would go on to become Alabama's head coach in the 1990s and solidify a Hall of Fame career there, winning a national championship in 1992.

Emory Bellard era (1972–1978)

Texas offensive coordinator Emory Bellard became the Aggies' head coach in 1972 and brought with him the wishbone offense. In his seven years at Texas A&M, he finished with a record of 48–27 and three top-15 finishes. Acting as his own offensive coordinator, Bellard hired former high school football coaches to assist him as backfield coaches. Bellard's first two seasons at Texas A&M were difficult, as his Aggies finished 3–8 and 5–6, respectively. In 1974, with a pair of his own recruiting classes suited to run the wishbone formation, the Aggies went 8–3, then followed it up with two 10–2 seasons, including a pair of wins over Texas and three consecutive bowl game appearances. After starting the 1978 season 4–0, Bellard resigned mid-season after two consecutive losses: 33–0 to Houston and 24–6 to Baylor.

Tom Wilson era (1978–1981)

Tom Wilson was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Aggies following Bellard's resignation. The Aggies enjoyed moderate success under Wilson's tutelage, compiling a record of 21–19 and an Independence Bowl victory in 1981. However, the mediocrity did not sit well with the administration, and Wilson was fired after the 1981 season.

Jackie Sherrill era (1982–1988)

On January 19, 1982, Jackie Sherrill was hired away from Pittsburgh by A&M as the replacement for Tom Wilson, signing a record six-year contract over $1.7 million. Sherrill was the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1988. While head coach at A&M, Sherrill started the tradition of the "12th Man Kickoff Team", this tradition is still observed by A&M today only in a significantly scaled back form, including a single walk-on rather than an entire return team unit. In Sherrill's seven seasons, A&M compiled a 52–28–1 record. A&M also won three consecutive Southwest Conference championships during Sherrill's tenure, in 1985, 1986 and 1987. As a result, the Aggies played in the Cotton Bowl Classic at the end of each season, defeating Auburn 36–16 on January 1, 1986 and Notre Dame 35–10 on January 1, 1988, and losing to Ohio State 28–12 on January 1, 1987. He is also one of the few coaches to leave Texas A&M with a winning record against the Longhorns, winning his last five against Texas after losing his first two. However, he only won two out of seven games versus Texas A&M's other conference rival, Arkansas, in that same time span. In 1988, Texas A&M was put under probation by the NCAA for a period of two years. Violations included improper employment, extra benefits, unethical conduct and lack of institutional control. Sherrill was not personally found guilty of any infractions. However, in December 1988, Sherrill resigned.

R. C. Slocum era (1989–2002)

Coach Slocum

In December 1988, R.C. Slocum was promoted from defensive coordinator and named head coach of the Aggies. During Slocum's 14 years as head coach, the Aggies compiled a record of 123–47–2, making Slocum the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. During his career, Slocum never had a losing season and won four conference championships, including the Big 12 (the Southwest Conference was renamed in 1996) title in 1998 and two Big 12 South Championships, 1997 1998. Additionally, he led the Aggies to become the first school in the Southwest Conference history to post three consecutive perfect conference seasons and actually went four consecutive seasons without a conference loss. Slocum reached 100 wins faster than any other active coach.

A&M's Kyle Field become one of the hardest places for opponents to play during Slocum's tenure, losing only 12 games at home in 14 years. For over a year, A&M held the longest home-winning streak in the nation, losing in 1989 and not again until late in 1995. In the 1990s, A&M lost only four times at Kyle Field. Slocum was named SWC Coach of the Year three times during his tenure as head coach. A&M's "Wrecking Crew" defense led the Southwest Conference in four statistical categories from 1991 through 1993 and led the nation in total defense in 1991. Over 50 Texas A&M players were drafted into the NFL during Slocum's career as head coach.

Slocum inherited an Aggie football program that had just finished 7–5 and under severe NCAA sanctions, and cleaned it up quickly. He was quoted in 2002 as saying "I wouldn't trade winning another game or two for my reputation as a person. I've said from day one I'm going to do things the way I think they should be done. There were those who said, `If you don't cheat, you're pretty naive. You can't win that way.' Well, we're going to find out. That's the way we're going to do it. I can walk away and look myself in the mirror and say, 'We did it the right way.' After 14 years as head coach of the Aggies, Slocum was asked to resign in 2002 following only the second non-winning season of his career. He immediately assumed a position as special adviser to Texas A&M president Robert Gates.

Dennis Franchione era (2003–2007)

Coach Francione

A&M turned to Alabama head coach Dennis Franchione to replace the ousted Slocum. Franchione brought the majority of his coaching staff from the Crimson Tide for the 2003 season. Franchione signed a contract that was set to pay him a yearly salary of $1.7 million through 2010.

The Aggies finished the 2003 season with a 4–8 record, including a nationally televised 77–0 loss to Oklahoma, the worst loss in A&M's history. The season also marked the first losing season for the Aggies after 21 years. In the 2004 season, Franchione attempted the rebuilding process as the team improved to a 7–5 record, and a 5–3 record in conference play, including a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had over Baylor and a 32–25 overtime win over the then No. 25 Texas Tech at Kyle Field, snapping a 3-game skid to the Red Raiders. The Aggies ended up advancing to the Cotton Bowl Classic to play No. 17 Tennessee, but lost 38–7. Following the bowl game, A&M officials extended Franchione's contract through 2012 and raised his salary to $2 million. In June 2005, prior to the 2005 season, Franchione donated $1 million to the A&M athletic department. The donation went toward the construction of an indoor practice facility, which is now located adjacent to Kyle Field.

In the 2005 season, Franchione's Aggies, who were ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll, regressed to a 5–6 record. The 2005 Aggie defense ranked 107th nationally (out of 119 NCAA Division I-A teams) and allowed 443.8 yards per game. This prompted Franchione to dismiss defensive coordinator Carl Torbush. Franchione then hired former Western Michigan head coach Gary Darnell to replace Torbush. In the 2006 season, the Aggies again rebounded under Franchione, posting a 9–3 regular season record that included Franchione's first win over rival Texas. The 9–3 record also marked the most wins for A&M since 1998. However, in that season's Oklahoma game, which ESPN's College GameDay visited, Franchione was criticized by fans for making a field goal call with 3:28 left in the game. The 18th-ranked Sooners ended up defeating the 21st-ranked Aggies, 17–16. In the postseason, the Aggies faced 20th-ranked California in the Holiday Bowl and lost 45–10.

During the 2007 season, Franchione was discovered selling a secret email newsletter, which violated two NCAA rules and one of the Big 12's "Principles and Standards of Sportsmanship". After the Aggies' 34–17 loss to unranked Miami in September 2007, Franchione's coaching abilities were questioned. Several news outlets reported that Franchione would not return for the 2008 season. After Franchione led the Aggies to a 38–30 victory over 13th-ranked Texas, he announced his resignation. Defensive coordinator Gary Darnell was named the interim head coach. Darnell led the Aggies to a 24–17 defeat at the hands of Penn State in the Alamo Bowl.

Mike Sherman era (2008–2011)

Coach Sherman

Mike Sherman was hired away from his post as offensive coordinator of the NFL's Houston Texans to replace Franchione. Sherman signed a 7-year contract that at the time paid him $1.8 million annually. Sherman abandoned the zone read option offense run by Franchione and his coaching staff, and installed a pro-style system. A&M used a balanced offense run primarily out of the pro-style formations. Sherman's quarterbacks at A&M were Stephen McGee and Ryan Tannehill, both of whom would go on to be drafted into the NFL.

After two straight losing seasons, the Aggies started the 2010 season 3–3 but won their final six games and earn a share of the Big 12 South Division title. No. 18 Texas A&M went on to play No. 11 LSU in the Cotton Bowl. Texas A&M lost 41–24 to end the season at 9–4. After the 2010 season, A&M signed Sherman a contract extension through the 2015 season. His salary was raised to $2.2 million.

In 2011, the Aggies began as a top 10 ranked team, but fell out of the polls after losing four games, three of which had double-digit half-time leads. Three of those four losses were to teams later ranked among the top ten in the nation. On November 12, 2011, Texas A&M lost 53-50 after 4 overtimes to the Kansas State University, the most overtimes in program history until a record 7-overtime 74–72 victory over Louisiana State University on November 24, 2018. On November 19, 2011, the Aggies defeated Kansas 61–7 and became bowl-eligible for a third straight season. Five days later, on November 24, 2011, they would lose at home to Texas by a score of 27–25 on a last-second field goal, in what would be the last game of the rivalry for the foreseeable future, as the Aggies were to join the SEC beginning in 2012. It was the Aggies' sixth loss of the season, and the fifth in which they held a second-half lead of two or more scores. Sherman was fired by Texas A&M on December 1, 2011. The Aggies compiled a record of 25–25 during Sherman's four-year tenure.

Kevin Sumlin era (2012–2017)

Coach Sumlin

On December 13, 2011, A&M hired Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin as the program's 28th head football coach. Sumlin was the first African American head coach in Texas A&M football history. In 2012, Sumlin led the Aggies to an 11–2 record, including victories over then-No. 1 Alabama, and No. 11 Oklahoma in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. Starting quarterback Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy. The Aggies finished the 2012 season ranked in the top 5 of both the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll. Texas A&M also led the SEC in total offense, total scoring offense, total rushing yds, and led the nation in third down conversion percentage. Kevin Sumlin and the Texas A&M Aggies became the first SEC team in history to amass over 7,000 yds in total offense. Sumlin's 2013 Aggies, led by Manziel, finished with a 9–4 record, which included a victory over Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. On November 30, 2013, A&M signed Sumlin to a six-year, $30 million contract extension.

For the 2014 season, the Aggies came out strong to begin the season, winning their first 5 games before stumbling mid-season to three top 10-ranked teams, including a 59–0 loss to No. 7 ranked Alabama. The Aggies finished the season 8–5 overall and 3–5 in SEC play. With the Liberty Bowl victory over West Virginia, the Aggies won four straight bowl games for the first time in program history. After the season, which was marred by defensive struggles, Sumlin dismissed his defensive coordinator, Mark Snyder, and replaced him with John Chavis. In 2015, A&M again finished 8–5. The season was marked by a strong start with struggles to close the season. A&M finished the season with a loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl.

Sumlin led the Aggies to a third consecutive 8–5 mark in 2016. The season was again marked a strong start with another late-season collapse, as A&M began the season 6–0, but losing four of its final five games. Texas A&M finished the 2016 season with a loss to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. Sumlin started off the 2017 season by surrendering a 34-point lead to UCLA. Sumlin was fired from the position on November 26, 2017, after his team finished 7–5. Sumlin finished 51–26 at A&M and with a 25–23 record in the SEC. Despite A&M football's struggles during the Sumlin era, the program was recognized by Forbes in August 2018 as the most valuable in the country, based on average revenue and profit figures from the 2014–16 seasons.

Jimbo Fisher era (2018–2023)

Coach Fisher

On December 4, 2017, Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher was formally introduced as the Aggies head coach. A splashy hire, Fisher arrived in College Station after a very successful eight-year run at FSU, leading the Seminoles to three Atlantic Coast Conference championships, six ten-win seasons, the 2013 national championship and coached Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston. A&M signed Fisher to a 10-year contract worth a total base salary of $75 million, the most lucrative contract in terms of guaranteed money signed by a newly hired head coach in college football history.

In 2018, Fisher led the Aggies to a 9–4 record. The season included a notable seven-overtime victory over then-No. 7 LSU. The combined 146 points scored during the game broke the NCAA FBS record for the most points scored in a game, the most points scored in a losing effort (72 by LSU), and tied the record for the most overtimes along with multiple school records for both sides. In 2019, Coach Fisher posted a 4–4 conference record, good for fourth in the Southeastern Conference West division. The Aggies wound up with an 8–5 overall win-loss record. On December 27, 2019, Texas A&M defeated #25 Oklahoma State 24–21 at the "Academy Sports + Outdoors Bowl", later titled the Texas Bowl.

The Aggies improved substantially in 2020 despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They finished the season with an 8–1 SEC record, a 9–1 overall result, and a #5 national ranking. Texas A&M faced the #13 North Carolina Tar Heels football team at the 2021 Orange Bowl on January 2, 2021. The Aggies won handily 41–27. The victory produced a combined 3–0 Orange Bowl record for Fisher following his previous successful outings with the Florida State Seminoles football team at the 2013 and 2016 Orange Bowls. In January 2021, following the Orange Bowl victory, A&M gave Fisher a new ten-year contract worth $95 million fully guaranteed excluding incentives. Texas A&M slipped in 2021. Despite an upset 41–38 win over the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide football team on October 9, 2021, and a 20–3 rout of the Auburn Tigers football team on November 6, 2021, the Aggies were unable to win consistently. They failed to qualify for a 2021-22 bowl game. Ultimately, Fisher steered the team to a 4–4 SEC conference standing and 8–4 overall record. After the 2021 season, Fisher lost his defensive coordinator Mike Elko, who took the Duke head coaching job.

The Aggies would enter the 2022 with high expectations, ranked #6 in the country. They lost six of their first nine games, including a shocking upset loss to unranked Appalachian State in the Aggies' second game. The Aggies suffered through a six-game losing streak during the season. 2022 marked the first time the Aggies had lost six consecutive games since the 1972 season. The team finished with a 5–7 mark, missing a bowl game, but ending the season on a positive note with an upset 38–23 victory over #5 LSU. In response to the offensive struggles and overall disappointment with the 2022 season, Fisher gave up play-calling duties and hired former Louisville and Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino as the team's offensive coordinator. Fisher was fired as Aggies head coach on November 12, 2023, after having a 6–4 record through 10 games in the 2023 season. His contract was bought out for $77.5 million, more than three times the largest buyout in college football history. Fisher left College Station with a 45–25 overall record with a 27–21 record in SEC play. Defensive line coach Elijah Robinson was named interim head coach for the rest of the 2023 season.

Mike Elko era (2024–present)

On November 26, 2023, Duke head coach Mike Elko was officially named as the new Aggies head coach. Elko had prior ties to Texas A&M, serving as Jimbo Fisher's defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021. Elko signed a six-year contract with A&M worth $7 million annually excluding incentives.