Cliff Gustafson, the 91-year-old former Texas Longhorn baseball coach with the most wins in college baseball history, passed away early Monday.
His daughters, Jann and Jill, stated that Dad passed away from congestive heart failure while asleep just before five in the morning, with them by his bedside. They added: “He was really distinctive and absolutely the best parent,” Jann Gustafson Shepherd said.
There are no specifics on the funeral services offered. On social media, everyone’s friends and family are expressing their sorrow and loss for him.
On February 12, 1931, Gustafson was born in Kenedy. Before accepting the position as head coach of the Longhorns and carrying on the traditions of Bibb Falk and Billy Disch, he was a wildly successful high school baseball coach at South San Antonio, where his teams won six Class 3A state baseball championships.
Former football coach and athletic director Darrell Royal hired him and even agreed to accept a pay cut to guarantee his employment. As “Coach Gus,” as his players’ legions of supporters affectionately referred to him, was well-known for his attention to detail and his long intrasquad games that would go on until dusk to get his team ready for any situation. Fans of the Longhorns were devoted to his No. 18 jersey.
Gustafson, a former South San Antonio High School bench player who won six state championships with the Bobcats before joining the Longhorns under Bibb Falk, made the illustrious move from the University of Texas to the Longhorns before the 1968 season.
In his 29-year collegiate coaching tenure at Texas, he guided the storied Texas baseball team to a remarkable run that included national championships in 1975 and 1983, 22 SWC regular season titles, 11 SWC Tournament titles, and 17 trips to the College World Series.
Gustafson won national coach of the year honours twice. He worked with 35 members of the first team, 12 members of the second team, and nine members of the third team.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
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