Gene Stallings: Profile

When then Alabama Athletic Director Hootie Ingram hired Gene Stallings on Jan. 11, 1990 to become Alabama's head coach it was "his own character and accomplishments which earned him the job," Ingram said. Despite all the awards and victories Stallings has collected during his 38 years of coaching, it's the man behind those accolades that receives first mention from those who have been close to him for several years. This was a great reunion for Stallings, who was assistant coach under Alabama's legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant in 1962.

Recently retired as the Tide's head coach, Stallings has compiled an on-the-field record of 60-13-1. He has won a national and SEC championship, three straight SEC Western Division titles (1992, '93, '94), two SEC Coach of the Year Awards (1992, '94) and was also named the Paul Bryant/FWAA Coach of the Year in 1992.

Sure, these results are nothing short of spectacular, but the Paris, Texas native would prefer higher praise for his efforts which take place when the gridiron equipment is put away and the stadium lights go out.

Stallings' love for football is much deeper than records and titles. His satisfaction comes from seeing the players achieve success in all phases of life. And this passion is also carried over to the children in Alabama and the rest of the country. This is evident by the countless hours that he and his wife Ruth Ann have given to several community charities.

As coach of the powerhouse Crimson Tide, Gene Stallings encountered many difficulties and accomplishments on the field. However, his off the field record is what should be noted. After his son John Mark was diagnosed with Down syndrome and a severe heart defect in 1962, Stallings was not sure if his new son would survive his first birthday. During an era when children with disabilities were institutionalized because they were "different," the Stallings family was committed to keeping and raising their child as a part of the family, no matter what the cost.

The hard work and commitment paid off for the Stallings family. Johnny is now thirty-five and living out a fully productive life with family and friends. Whether talking with the players in the locker room or cheering from the sidelines, Johnny has played a role in all of the teams Stallings has coached, including Texas A&M, the Dallas Cowboys, the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals, and Alabama. The Crimson Tide fans have been especially receptive of Stallings special son.

Stallings as a coach has always worked hard to do his very best and inspire his team to do their best on the field and off. His son Johnny's special needs have inspired Gene Stallings to treasure the time that he has with his family and to reach out to other families with disabled children. In his book Another Season, Stallings warmly describes the joy and heartbreak of raising a child with Down syndrome. But more than anything, the book is about the love relationship between Stallings and his son.

In 1991 his family was honored as the Family of the Year by the Tuscaloosa Association of Retarded Citizens for their sponsorship of an annual charity golf tournament which raises money for the association. And in November of 1994 his family was honored once again for their generosity when the RISE Program, located on Alabama's campus, named its new building the Stallings Center.

RISE, which originally stood for Rural Infant Stimulation Environment, but now is simply known as RISE because it deals not only with infants but toddlers and preschoolers as well, prepares disabled children for the public school environment by integrating them with non-disabled peers. The goal of the program is to help children with cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, and other developmental disabilities to surpass their boundaries.

Stallings was instrumental in raising money for the building and also devotes an unregulated amount of time with families of individuals with disabilities. The coach has even been known to telephone the parents of new-born children with Downs syndrome to comfort them and offer promise.

In 1982 the National Boys Club gave Stallings the Alumni of the Year Award, and a year later he received the Dallas Father of the Year Award. He has been elected to the Texas A&M Hall of Fame, the Texas Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Abilene Christian University. Since his retirement from Alabama, Stallings and his family have returned to his home town in Texas, where he continues to serve his community and his family.