In 39 years as a collegiate head coach, Stan Huntsman compiled 46 conference championships during his tenures at Ohio University (14 years), the University of Tennessee (14 years) and the University of Texas (11 years).
A graduate of Wabash College, Huntsman attended Ohio University as a graduate student from 1955-56. When he graduated in 1956, he became head coach of the track & field team, a position that he held until 1969.
After 14 years coaching the Bobcats, Huntsman accepted a position as the head men’s coach at the University of Tennessee.
In his 14-year tenure at Tennessee, Huntsman led the Vols to two NCAA team championships and earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors six times. The Vols also won 33 SEC titles, including seven triple crowns, during Huntsman’s career.
Huntsman’s individual athletes at Tennessee experienced equal success, winning 41 NCAA championships and four NCAA relay championships.
In 1985, Huntsman accepted a new challenge as head coach of the University of Texas men’s track & field team, and his winning streak continued. Texas won 11 Southwest Conference (SWC) titles during Huntsman’s coaching term, including four triple crowns, and finished as NCAA runners-up twice in outdoor track & field.
In his time with the Longhorns, four-time SWC Coach of the Year Huntsman produced 11 individual NCAA champions, 64 individual conference champions, and 112 All-Americans.
Huntsman retired from full-time coaching at the end of the 1995 season. Among the talented individual athletes Huntsman coached during this career were American record holder and Olympian Doug Brown and NCAA champion, U.S. champion, World cup champion and 1992 Olympian David Patrick.
In addition, Huntsman enjoyed a fruitful international coaching career. He served as the U.S. head coach for the 1988 Olympics, 1983 World Championships, 1977 World Cup, and 2003 World Indoor Championships. He also served as an assistant coach for the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Teams and served as President of the track coaches association from 1971-72. Huntsman’s achievements are honored in the USATF Hall of Fame, the Indiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Longhorn Hall of Honor.