Career
Gustafson, born February 12, 1931, is a native of Kenedy, Texas. 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 (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 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, 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, Juris Doctor Smart, Greg Swindell, Jose Tolentino, Richard Wortham, and Ricky Wright. Gustafson resigned in 1996 after being accused in a financial scandal, a charge Gustafson claimed was based on fraud by then Athletic Director Deloss Dodds.
He was eventually inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Since his retirement, Gustafson, divides his time between his home in southwest Austin, Texas and his ranch in Cameron, Texas, northeast of Austin.
