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Cliff Gustafson

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Biographical details
Born	(1931-02-12)February 12, 1931 Kenedy, Texas, U.S.
Died	January 2, 2023(2023-01-02) (aged 91) Austin, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
1952	Texas
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1953–1967	South San Antonio (TX) HS
1968–1996	Texas
Head coaching record
Overall	1,466–377–2 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2×College World Series (1975,1983) 22×SWC Regular season Champion (1968–1976, 1979–1988, 1991, 1992, 1996) 11×SWC Tournament champion (1979–1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994)
Awards
1982 National Coach of the Year 1983 Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year 1983 University of Texas Hall of Honor 1992 ABCA Hall of Fame 1994 Texas Sports Hall of Fame 1998 James Keller Sportsmanship Award
College Baseball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006

Clifford L. Gustafson (February 12, 1931 – January 2, 2023) was an American high school andcollege baseball coach who was, for twenty-nine seasons, the head coach of theTexas Longhorns, representing theUniversity of Texas at Austin.

Gustafson was a native ofKenedy, Texas. He attended theUniversity of Texas at Austin and playedcollege baseball for theTexas Longhorns, including the1952 team that won theSouthwest Conference championship and reached theCollege World Series. Gustafson posted a .308 batting average for his collegiate career and went on to play professional baseball in 1953.^[1]

After briefly playing baseball professionally, Gustafson embarked on a successful 14-year-high school coaching career that began in 1953 atSouth San Antonio High School in San Antonio, Texas. During his 14 seasons at South San, Gustafson's teams won the Class 3A State Championships an impressive seven times: 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966,1967.^[2]

In 1968, after hanging up initially onUniversity of Texas football coach and athletic directorDarrell Royal, thinking 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 22 Southwest Conference Championships, a record 17 College World Series appearances, with finals appearances resulting in national championships in 1975 and 1983.^[3]

Many of Gustafson's players went on to playMajor League Baseball. Among that group areJim Acker,Billy Bates,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, andRicky Wright. Gustafson has been inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Honor (1983),^[4]American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1992)^[5] and theTexas Sports Hall of Fame (1994).^[6] He was named National Coach of the Year in baseball in 1983 byCollegiate Baseball^[7] and awarded the 1998 James Keller Sportsmanship Award.^[8] He was also an inaugural member of theCollege Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.^[9]

Gustafson resigned in July 1996 amid a dispute regarding the financial arrangement related to his summer baseball camp.^[10][11]

Until his death, Gustafson resided at his home in Austin, Texas.

Gustafson died on January 2, 2023, at the age of 91.^[13][7]

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-teamAll 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 theNational College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

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

Gustafson was never ejected from the game while coaching the Longhorns.^[14][15]

• List of college baseball career coaching wins leaders

• 1931 births
• 2023 deaths
• Texas Longhorns baseball coaches
• Texas Longhorns baseball players
• High school baseball coaches in the United States
• National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
• People from Kenedy, Texas
• Baseball coaches from Texas
• Baseball players from Austin, Texas
• Plainview Ponies players

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