Golden: Texas baseball alumni game is a family affair because of Cliff Gustafson

With the funeral of Texas coaching legend Cliff Gustafson coming up at UFCU Disch-Falk Field next Thursday, Kirk Bohls and I gathered three of his former players together for our "On Second Thought" podcast to share their favorite Coach Gus memories.

Three UT legends from three different decades — Keith Moreland in the 1970s, Greg Swindell in the 1980s and Brooks Kieschnick in the 1990s — are great friends off the field despite their differences in age. Gustafson, who died Monday at age 91, was able to bring them together through their shared love for the University of Texas and their sport.

Golden:Why did Chris Beard have to go? Because Texas had no other choice

The conversation was about a baseball coach, but the memories went beyond the game.

“My relationship with him extends way away from baseball," said Kieschnick, 50. “He was obviously a tremendous coach, but more than that he was tremendous mentor and, after I got done playing for him, a tremendous friend. He was someone I looked up to, and he always had the right things to say. I was very sad, but what a great run. He is so respected and so loved by so many throughout the baseball world, but also throughout life.”

Through the quarter-century since Gustafson left the dugout, a brotherhood has formed among his former players that’s Texas strong because of the love they all had for the man who wore No. 18.

“Family is the first term that comes (to mind),” said the 69-year-old Moreland, who will eulogize Gustafson along with fellow UT alum Ty Harrington. “Families can fight; they can do whatever. The worst battles I’ve ever seen in my life were between two brothers, but when it gets through, they’re going to hug each other and have a cold beer if they’re mature enough to do it and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry.’”

Moreland mentioned players such as John Langerhans and David Shaw, former Longhorns who were preparing for MLB spring training but would come back to campus and work out and mentor the younger players. And the alumni game was a Gustafson creation that furthered his cause of togetherness.

Bohls:Texas deserves credit for handling Chris Beard's firing correctly

“It’s a family affair. It should be named the Cliff Gustafson Alumni Game,” said Swindell, 58.

Next month’s alumni game at Disch-Falk will represent the unofficial start to the 2023 season and will be the first without both Gus and fellow coaching legend Augie Garrido in our midst. Generations of Horns will come together to play and honor the two coaches who made Texas baseball a national phenomenon.

It will be the best kind of reunion.

A family reunion.

Horns are Terry's team now: Now that Texas has parted ways with head coach Chris Beard, the players no longer have to wonder who'll be running the show for the rest of the season. And while emotions are still probably high since Beard recruited most of them to play here, now is the time for them to rally around Rodney Terry.

Golden:Golden: Texas' Cliff Gustafson not only won, but he impacted, changed lives along the way

Lately, the Horns have been awful defensively — three of the last four opponents have topped 96 points — but there is enough physical talent on this roster to bite down on those mouthguards and get many more stops down the stretch.

The Horns have so much firepower on the offensive end, but giving that same amount of passion on the other end — defense is less glamorous but just as important — will keep Texas in the Big 12 title hunt now that the money games have started.

Kansas State couldn’t miss Tuesday night because the Wildcats were just too comfortable running their offense.

With Beard no longer part of the mix, Terry and the remaining coaches and players will have to take on more accountability on that end of the court. More important, a player or two will have take on the role of bad cop when it comes to defense.  It can’t be just Brock Cunningham doing the dirty work.

Saturday’s game at Oklahoma State won’t be a snap — there are rare off days and nights in the Big 12 — but it represents a chance for the Horns to hone in on defense against a team that’s eighth in the conference in scoring (71 points per game) and ninth in 3-point shooting (.337).

Good news on Hamllin: Damar Hamlin opened his eyes Thursday and asked his doctors by written word who won Monday night’s game between his Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.

“You won,” his doctors told him. “You won the game of life.”

After suffering a cardiac arrest, Hamlin is one fortunate young man to still be among us. The best part of this story, aside from him making what’s been called remarkable progress, is the outpouring of love from fans worldwide who have donated more than $6 million to his charity.

More:A scary replay: Damar Hamlin's on-field scare brought Westlake's Matt Nader back to 2006

The Bills’ trainers and the emergency medical workers did a tremendous job in saving a young life, but in the minutes that followed there was no reason for it to take so long for the league to announce that the game between the Bills and Bengals was being suspended.

It should have been called immediately, and the league has to be much better in the area of employee relations if, heaven forbid, something like this happens again.

After watching the pained, tearful expressions on the faces of his teammates as medical personnel worked to save the 24-year-old Hamlin’s life, it just befuddles the mind that they were reportedly told they had five minutes to warm up before returning to the field. The game was later suspended, presumably at the insistence of coaches Sean McDermott and Zac Taylor, who didn’t want to put their players on the field after such an emotional ordeal.

Those players, particularly the Bills, had no reason to resume playing, especially knowing that their teammate might have died right there on the field.

The hope moving forward is that the Bills guarantee the rest of Hamlin’s rookie deal and provide resources to ensure he has everything he needs, even if his playing days are over. And the NFLPA must call for more guaranteed money in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Football isn’t forever, but the salaries should add up to the risks involved. And for those who say it’s a choice? You’re right. But 80,000 people show up every Sunday to watch the players. All players, especially late-round draft picks like Hamlin — who is playing for $825,000 in his second season — should be duly compensated with more guaranteed money for the dangerous activity they’re taking up to entertain those packed stadiums.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Legendary Texas baseball coach to be eulogized Thursday at Disch-Falk