Chena Gilstrap
| Sport(s) | College football |
|---|---|
| Current position | |
| Team | University of Texas at Arlington |
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
July 31, 1914 Granger, Texas |
| Died |
August 9, 2002 (aged 88) Palo Alto, California |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953-1965 | UT Arlington |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 85-40-3 |
Claude R. "Chena" Gilstrap was the ninth head college football coach for the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks located in Arlington, Texas and he held that position for thirteen seasons, from 1953 until 1965.[1] His career coaching record at UT Arlington was 85 wins, 40 losses, and 3 ties. This ranks him first at UT Arlington in total wins and second at UT Arlington in winning percentage.[2] The school discontinued its football team after completion of the 1985 season.[3]
Gilstrap is only former UTA coach or player inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He was athletic director and head football coach from 1952 to 1965 and remained as athletic director until 1975. His teams won consecutive Junior Rose Bowl games in Pasadena beginning in 1956.[2] The ’57 Arlington State College squad was undefeated and ranked No. 1 nationally among junior colleges. Gilstrap guided UTA from junior college status to a four-year program in 1959. His overall record has a head coach was 162-88-9, 115-60-4 at the collegiate level. He died in 2002; he had been suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
References
- ↑
- 1 2 UTA Magazine Online, Legendary Coach and Athletic Director Dies Archived December 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Garcia, Art (July 15, 2011). "Joining the WAC is first big step-UTA's move to higher profile conference would be enhanced with addition of football". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 22, 2012.