Cliff Gustafson is a former Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 high school & college baseball

College baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...

 coach who was, for twenty-nine seasons, the head coach of The University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 Longhorn

Texas Longhorn Athletics

Texas Longhorns athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of The University of Texas at Austin. These teams are referred to as the Texas Longhorns , taking their name from the Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and are now the...

 baseball team.

During this time he became the most successful head coach in NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 Division I baseball history, a record relinquished in 2005 to his successor as UT baseball head coach, Augie Garrido

Augie Garrido

August Edmun Garrido, Jr. is a coach in NCAA Division I college baseball. As of June 12, 2011, Garrido has compiled a record of 1,817 wins, 823 losses, and 8 ties. He is currently in his 43rd season of collegiate coaching...

.

Gustafson, born February 12, 1931, is a native of Kenedy, Texas

Kenedy, Texas

Kenedy is a city in Karnes County, Texas, United States, named for Mifflin Kenedy, who bought and wanted to develop a new town that would carry his name...

. He played baseball at UT, including the 1952

1952 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Shibe Park: National League, 3-2 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: La Habana *College World Series: Holy Cross...

 team that won the Southwest Conference championship and reached the College World Series

College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...

. Gustafson posted a .308 batting average for his collegiate 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

Darrell Royal

Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...

 (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

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

. Among that group are Jim Acker

Jim Acker

James Justin Acker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from to . He played college baseball at the University of Texas....

, Billy Bates

Billy Bates

Willie Bates, known as Billy was an English all-round cricketer. Excellent with both bat and ball, Bates scored over 10,000 first-class runs, took more than 870 wickets and was always reliable in the field...

, Mike Brumley

Mike Brumley

Mike Brumley may refer to:*Mike Brumley , former catcher in Major League Baseball*Mike Brumley , his son, former utility player in Major League Baseball...

, Mike Capel

Mike Capel

Michael Lee Capel , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros ....

, Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...

, Dennis Cook

Dennis Cook

Dennis Bryan Cook is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball with nine teams from 1988 to 2002: the San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Texas Rangers ,...

, Scott Coolbaugh

Scott Coolbaugh

Scott Robert Coolbaugh is an American former baseball player. Coolbaugh played Major League Baseball from to for the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres and in for the St. Louis Cardinals. He also played two seasons in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in and , and continued to play in the minor...

, Keith Creel

Keith Creel

Keith Creel was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who was a star pitcher at the University of Texas. The Kansas City Royals chose Creel with their first round pick of the 1980 draft He never lived up to expectations and finished his career with a record of 5 wins, 14 losses, and a 5.60...

, Kirk Dressendorfer

Kirk Dressendorfer

Kirk Richard Dressendorfer was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated from Pearland High School and is an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin. At UT he was a three-time All-American and All-SWC, posting a career record of 45-8, including a single-season record 15 complete games...

, Ron Gardenhire

Ron Gardenhire

Ronald Clyde "Gardy" Gardenhire is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and current manager of the Minnesota Twins.He is six feet tall and weighed 175 pounds during most of his baseball career....

, Jim Gideon

Jim Gideon

James Leslie Gideon is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. He pitched for the Texas Rangers for one game on September 14 during the 1975 Texas Rangers season.-External links:...

, Jerry Don Gleaton

Jerry Don Gleaton

Jerry Don Gleaton was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1979 to 1992 for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Became an All-American at the University of Texas and the Most Valuable Player of the Southwest Conference...

, Burt Hooton

Burt Hooton

Burt Carlton Hooton , nicknamed "Happy" , is a coach and former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...

, Bob Kearney

Bob Kearney

Robert Henry Kearney , is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Seattle Mariners from to ....

, Brooks Kieschnick

Brooks Kieschnick

Michael Brooks Kieschnick is a former Major League Baseball player. He was primarily a relief pitcher and left-handed pinch hitter...

, Keith Moreland

Keith Moreland

Bobby Keith "Zonk" Moreland is a former outfielder, catcher and infield in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. In , the final year of his career, he played for the Detroit Tigers, then the Baltimore Orioles...

, Calvin Murray

Calvin Murray

Calvin Murray , is a retired professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1999-2004 for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs. He is a 1989 graduate of Dallas' W. T. White High School and attended the University of Texas...

, Spike Owen

Spike Owen

Spike Dee Owen is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , New York Yankees and California Angels...

, Karl Pagel

Karl Pagel

Karl Douglas Pagel is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for five seasons. He played for the Chicago Cubs from 1978 to 1979 and the Cleveland Indians from 1981 to 1983....

, Mark Petkovsek

Mark Petkovsek

Mark Joseph Petkovsek is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Texas Rangers , Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals and Anaheim Angels ....

, Shane Reynolds

Shane Reynolds

Richard Shane Reynolds is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros , Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks...

, Andre Robertson

Andre Robertson

Andre Levett Robertson is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. He played during five seasons at the major league level for the New York Yankees. He was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 4th round of the amateur draft...

, Bruce Ruffin

Bruce Ruffin

Bruce Ruffin is a rocksteady and reggae artist.-Biography:...

, Calvin Schiraldi

Calvin Schiraldi

Calvin Drew Schiraldi is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the losing pitcher of Game 6 and Game 7 of the 1986 World Series.-Amateur career:...

, J.D. Smart, Greg Swindell

Greg Swindell

Forest Gregory "Greg" Swindell is an American former Major League Baseball player, who had a 17-year career as a left-handed pitcher from to...

, Jose Tolentino

José Tolentino

José Tolentino , is a retired Major League Baseball first baseman. He played for the Houston Astros in . He was a coach for the Mexican national baseball team during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.-Playing career:...

, Richard Wortham, and Ricky Wright

Ricky Wright

James Richard Wright was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers from 1982-1986.-External links:...

.

Gustafson retired in 1996 and was finally 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.

In 1999 Gustafson sued UT athletic director DeLoss Dodds

DeLoss Dodds

DeLoss Dodds is the current men's athletic director of The University of Texas at Austin. During his tenure beginning in the fall of 1981, Texas has claimed 13 National Championships and 103 conference titles through September 29, 2011....

 claiming Dodds used a falsified financial document to help force the coach's resignation. A judge dismissed the lawsuit.

After coaching

Since his retirement, Gustafson, divides his time between his home in southwest Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

 and his ranch in Cameron, Texas

Cameron, Texas

Cameron is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,634 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Milam County.-Geography:Cameron is located at . It is situated at the junction of U.S...

, northeast of Austin.

Head coaching record

Year	School	Overall Record	SWC Record	Notes
1968	Texas	23-11	12-4	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1969	Texas	40-6	14-2	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1970	Texas	45-8	14-1	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1971	Texas	35-11	15-3	SWC Champion
1972	Texas	50-9	12-6	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1973	Texas	50-7	15-3	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1974	Texas	54-8	20-4	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1975	Texas	59-6	23-1	SWC Champion National Champions
1976	Texas	48-16	19-5	SWC Champion
1977	Texas	53-10	17-7
1978	Texas	36-17	12-12
1979	Texas	61-8	22-2	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion CWS Appearance
1980	Texas	53-13	18-6	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion
1981	Texas	62-11-1	16-5	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion CWS Appearance
1982	Texas	59-7	12-4	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion CWS Appearance
1983	Texas	66-14	18-3	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion National Champions
1984	Texas	60-14	16-5	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion CWS Appearance National Runner-Up
1985	Texas	64-14	16-5	SWC Champion CWS Appearance National Runner-Up
1986	Texas	51-14	16-5	SWC Champion
1987	Texas	61-11	18-3	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion CWS Appearance
1988	Texas	58-11-1	18-2-1	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion
1989	Texas	54-18	14-7	CWS Appearance National Runner-Up
1990	Texas	51-17	15-5	SWC Tournament Champion
1991	Texas	48-19	14-7	SWC Champion SWC Tournament Champion
1992	Texas	48-17	28-8	SWC Champion CWS Appearance
1993	Texas	51-16	11-7	CWS Appearance
1994	Texas	43-21	9-9	SWC Tournament Champion
1995	Texas	44-19	14-10
1996	Texas	39-24	17-7	SWC Champion
TOTALS		1466-377-2	472-151-1	22 SWC Championships 11 SWC Tournament Championships NCAA Record 17 CWS Appearances 2 National Championships

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

College Baseball Hall of Fame

The National College Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a museum operated by the College Baseball Foundation serving as the central point for the study of the history of college baseball in the United States...

in 2006.

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

Trivia

• Superstitiously ate peanut butter & jelly sandwiches before games

• Thinking it was a prank call, Coach Gustafson hung up the phone on Darrell Royal, when the then UT football coach & athletic director called him to offer him the job as baseball coach for The University.

• Gustafson's Longhorns played the Texas Rangers four years going 0-4 in exhibitions.