Hall of Fame Hurricanes: Andy Gustafson
“Hall of Fame Canes” will highlight Hurricanes enshrined in the #HOF in preparation for Jimmy Johnson’s College Football Hall of Fame induction, along with the rest of the Class of 2012, on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Meet today’s Hall of Fame Hurricane…
Andy Gustafson
College Football HOF, 1985
Andy Gustafson, a native of Aurora, Ill., was coached by legendary Hall of Fame coaches Glenn “Pop” Warner and Jock Sutherland at Pittsburgh, so it is easy to see that the seed for coaching prowess was planted in Gustafson’s mind by wise and able cultivators of the game.
As a halfback at Pitt, Gustafson scored the first touchdown ever in Pitt Stadium, against Washington & Lee. But as a coach, Gustafson was more than a “first-ever” man.
During his illustrious career, Gustafson led teams from Virginia Tech (1926-1929) and the University of Miami, FL (1948-1963) to an overall record of 115-78-4. Between the years of 1930 and 1947, Gustafson served as an assistant coach at Pitt, Dartmouth and Army, aiding the famous Red Blaik at the latter two institutions.
At Miami, Gustafson enjoyed his greatest coaching experiences, leading the Hurricanes to four bowl appearances, and shocking upsets over some of the nation’s best teams, including Notre Dame, Purdue, Navy, Iowa, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Alabama, Texas Christian and Michigan State. Perhaps his greatest triumph in his entire career came in 1950, when his Hurricanes defeated Purdue one week after the Boilermakers surprised the nation by snapping Notre Dame’s 37-game unbeaten streak.
Gustafson led UM to a 93-65 record in 16 seasons as head coach in what became known as “The Glory Years” of Hurricane football. He developed the “Drive Series” belly option, considered the forerunner of the veer and wishbone offenses, while his teams went to four bowl games and nine players earned first team All-America status. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
-from the official College Football Hall of Fame website: CollegeFootball.org
