Stallings Expected to Be Named Tide Coach

Alabama football fans who want a coach with ties to the late Bear Bryant apparently will get their wish today when Gene Stallings is expected to be named to succeed Bill Curry, who quit Sunday to coach at Kentucky.

The university called a news conference for this morning.

Stallings, 54, fired earlier this season as coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, played for Bryant at Texas A&M; and later was one of his assistants with the Crimson Tide.

Stallings’ only previous collegiate head coaching job was at Texas A&M;, where he had a 27-45-1 record in six seasons. He later was an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years, before becoming the Cardinals’ coach in 1985. His record with them was 22-34-1.

“There are not a lot of college jobs I would be interested in, but Alabama is a school that is unlike any other program,” he said. “It falls into another category. It has been very exciting the last couple of days to know I am being considered.”