Gene Stallings of Powderly, Texas, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1957.  Mr. Stallings played football for Texas A&M University under head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1954 to 1956.  Coach Stallings was the head football coach for Texas A&M University from 1965 to 1972.  Stallings coached professional football for a total of 18 years.  As head coach, he led Alabama to a national championship in 1992.  Stallings was assistant coach to Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years, head coach for the St. Louis Cardinals for two years and the Phoenix Cardinals for two years.

Mr. Stallings serves on many boards including President George W. Bush’s Commission on Intellectual Disability and he was formerly a member of the board of Abilene Christian University.  Other boards include the Tandy Brand Corporation, People’s National Bank of Paris, Paris Regional Medical Center, Disability Resources, the Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Association, the Great Southern Wood Corporation, and the Boys and Girls Club of Paris, Texas.  Coach Stallings has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas A&M Hall of Fame, Gator Bowl Hall of Fame and Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.  He also received an honorary doctorate degree from Harding University.

Coach Stallings has received many awards including National Coach of the Year, American Football Coaches’ Coach of the Year, Paul Bryant Coach of the Year and was the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year two times, as well as many other awards.  In 2000, Coach Stallings was awarded Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M University.  He was awarded the Legends Award from the All Sports Association in Dallas in 2001.  Mr. Stallings has also received many humanitarian awards, including the Arthritis Humanitarian Award of Alabama, National Boys Club Alumni of the Year, Dallas Father of the Year, Humanitarian Award of the Lion’s Club of Alabama, and Paris Boys Club Wall of Honor.  Stallings is also the author of a book, Another Season, which describes the love he has for his son who was born with Downs Syndrome.

Mr. Stallings was appointed to the Board of Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2005.  He serves as chair of the Policy Review Committee and as a member of the Committee on Audit and the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs.  Mr. Stallings has also served as a member of the Special Committee on Educational Access.  His term expires February 1, 2011.