Texas A&M Invitational, Inc.

Eugene Clifton "Gene" Stallings, Jr '57
Tournament Host

"Coach" as Aggie Alumni like to call him, has hosted the Texas A&M Invitational since its inception

Gene Stallings attended Paris High School where he was a standout athlete, earning All-District and All-State honors in both football and basketball.

These honors won him an athletic scholarship in football to Texas A&M University, where he played under legendary coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant.

In 1956, the Aggies won the Southwest Conference in an undefeated season. Stallings was one of three co-captains, along with Lloyd Hale and future NFL head coach Jack Pardee, who earned All-Southwest Conference recognition.

Stallings spent a year at Texas A&M as a graduate student, and in 1958 was invited by Bryant, who left A&M after the 1957 season, to join his staff as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama. He remained on staff until 1964, when, at age 29, was named head coach of the Aggies.
Stallings coached at his alma mater for seven seasons, compiling a record of 27-45-1 and winning the Southwest Conference championship in 1967, culminating in a Cotton Bowl victory over friend and mentor Bear Bryant.

In 1972, Stallings joined the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant coach under Tom Landry. He remained there for 14 seasons, coaching in three Super Bowls and helping lead the Cowboys to a win in Super Bowl XII over the Denver Broncos.

In 1986, Stallings was named head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team gained fame for its consistently strong defense.

In 1990, Stallings returned to the University of Alabama as head coach. He led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season in 1992, culminating in a NCAA Division I Football National Championship. Stallings left Alabama in 1996, with an impressive 70-16-1 record, one SEC title and a national championship in his seven seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Since retiring, Stallings has been a football consultant, served as a trustee of Abilene Christian University and is a member of the Board of Regents at Texas A&M University. He is also a motivational speaker and an advocate for Down Syndrome research. Stallings and his family live on his ranch near Paris, Texas.

Coach invites you to join him for the Texas A&M Invitational.