The Aggie-Tide connection: The coaches who have led Alabama and Texas A&M

Three coaches have led football teams at both the University of Alabama and Texas A&M University: Dennis Franchione, Gene Stallings and Paul W. "Bear" Bryant.

Franchione was the only coach to go from Tuscaloosa to College Station, while Bryant and Stallings coached at Texas A&M first before switching to Alabama.

Alabama faces Texas A&M on Saturday, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. and CBS broadcasting.

Here's a look at the three coaches with ties to the Aggies and the Tide:

Dennis Franchione

Franchione, a native of Girard, Kansas, compiled a 17-8 record as Alabama's head coach in 2001-02.

The man known as "Coach Fran" came to Tuscaloosa after coaching at Texas Christian University and New Mexico University. He replaced Mike DuBose in the midst of an NCAA investigation into the Crimson Tide football program, but UA administrators and players were stunned when he accepted the job at Texas A&M.

Franchione had just finished a successful 2002 season at UA, compiling a 10-3 record.

"It's a shock to all of us, of course, a great loss," then-UA athletics director Mal Moore said on Dec. 5, 2002, when Franchione left Alabama for Texas A&M.

Franchione compiled a 32-28 record in five seasons at Texas A&M but was dismissed after the 2007 season.

After serving as a color commentator for ESPN Radio, Franchione coached five seasons at Texas State, compiling a 39-43 record before retiring to his home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

He finished his career with 213 wins, 135 losses and two ties.

Gene 'Bebes' Stallings

A native of Paris, Texas, Stallings played under Bryant at Texas A&M and then became an assistant under the Bear's first staff at UA in 1958.

Stallings was named Texas A&M's coach in 1965, shortly after he served on the staff of UA's 1964 national championship team. He was just 29 years old.

He coached Texas A&M for seven seasons with a record of 27 wins, 45 losses and one tie. Stallings' best season was in 1967, when he led A&M to a Southwest Conference title and a Cotton Bowl win over Alabama and his mentor, Bryant. Bryant carried Stallings off the field after the game.

After his 1971 dismissal at Texas A&M, Stallings served as an assistant coach under Tom Landry on the staff of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys for 14 seasons. He was the secondary coach when the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII.

From 1986-89, he was the head coach for the NFL's Cardinals. The franchise was in St. Louis for the first two years of Stallings' tenure and the last two years in Phoenix. Stallings was dismissed after compiling 23 wins, 43 losses and a tie.

Stallings succeeded Bill Curry at Alabama in 1990 and spent seven seasons in Tuscaloosa, compiling a record of 70 wins, 16 losses and a tie, with six bowl appearances at the Capstone.

His best season was 1992, when the Crimson Tide finished 13-0 and earned the SEC championship and the national title. UA and Stallings beat the Florida Gators and Steve Spurrier in the inaugural SEC Championship game, 28-21, and then defeated the defending champion Miami Hurricanes by a 34-13 score in the Sugar Bowl.

Stallings retired to his Paris, Texas, ranch after the 1996 season.

Paul W. Bryant

The Moro Bottom, Arkansas, native coached four seasons at Texas A&M before leaving College Station for his alma mater with this memorable quote: "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."

After playing college football at Alabama from 1933-35, Bryant began his head coaching career with stops at Maryland and Kentucky before landing at Texas A&M.

Bryant earned 25 wins, 14 losses and two ties at Texas A&M.

He had the only losing season of his career in 1954 at Texas A&M, going 1-9. Two seasons later, Texas A&M won the Southwest Conference and beat the University of Texas by a 34-21 score in Austin.

In 1957, Bryant coached his only Heisman Trophy winner, John David Crow. The Aggies contended for a title before losing to Rice University in Houston as rumors began to swirl that Bryant was headed to back Alabama.

Bryant replaced J.B. "Ears" Whitworth in 1958 at Alabama. He spent 25 seasons at Alabama, earning 242 wins, 42 losses and nine ties. At Alabama, Bryant cemented his legacy as one of college football's all-time best coaches.

His tenure in Tuscaloosa included six national championships, 13 SEC titles and 24 straight bowl appearances. He coached future NFL legends Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, John Hannah, Ozzie Newsome, Dwight Stephenson and Lee Roy Jordan, along with a host of other stars, at UA.

Bryant retired after the 1982 season and died of a heart attack on Jan. 26, 1983, just four weeks after coaching his final game at UA.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: A look at three football coaches who have led Alabama and Texas A&M