Cliff Gustafson

Cliff Gustafson is a former Texas high school & college baseball coach who was, for twenty-nine seasons, the head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn baseball team.

Early life

Gustafson, born February 12, 1931, is a native of Kenedy, Texas. He played baseball at UT, including the 1952 team that won the Southwest Conference championship and reached the College World Series. Gustafson posted a .308 batting average for his collegiate career.

Coaching career

South San Antonio High School

After briefly playing baseball professionally, Gustafson coached at South San Antonio High School for fourteen seasons, winning seven Texas State championships.

The University of Texas

In 1968, after hanging up initially on University of Texas football coach & athletic director, Darrell Royal (Gustafson thought it was a prank phone call) Gustafson took a pay cut to coach the baseball team at The University of Texas at Austin. While there, he led the Longhorns to twenty-two [Southwest Conference] Championships, a record seventeen College World Series appearances, and two national championships in baseball 1975 and 1983.

Many of Gustafson's players went on to play Major League Baseball. Among that group are Jim Acker, Billy Bates (baseball), Mike Brumley, Mike Capel, Roger Clemens, Dennis Cook, Scott Coolbaugh, Keith Creel, Kirk Dressendorfer, Ron Gardenhire, Jim Gideon, Jerry Don Gleaton, Burt Hooton, Bob Kearney, Brooks Kieschnick, Keith Moreland, Calvin Murray, Spike Owen, Karl Pagel, Mark Petkovsek, Shane Reynolds, Andre Robertson, Bruce Ruffin, Calvin Schiraldi, J.D. Smart, Greg Swindell, Jose Tolentino, Richard Wortham, and Ricky Wright.

Gustafson resigned in 1996 after being accused in a financial scandal,^[1] a charge Gustafson claimed was based on fraud by then Athletic Director Deloss Dodds.^[2] He was eventually inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He was named National Coach of the Year in baseball in 1982 and 1983. He was also named an inaugural member of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

After coaching

Since his retirement, Gustafson, divides his time between his home in southwest Austin, Texas and his ranch in Cameron, Texas, northeast of Austin.

Head coaching record

Achievements

National Championships: 1975, 1983

SWC Championships: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996

SWC Tournament Championships: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994

Collegiate Career Record: (1968–1996): 1466-377-2 (.795)

NCAA Tournament Record: 122-55 (.689)

National Coach of the Year: 1982, 1983

College World Series Appearances: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993

Coached 35 First Team All Americans, 12 Second Team All Americans, and 9 Third Team All Americans

Inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Named an inaugural member of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Gustafson's Longhorns had a 39-0 record against minor league & semi-pro teams in exhibitions.

See also

• List of college baseball coaches with 1,100 wins

References