“Destiny can’t be changed; it is shaped by our actions.” Those words came to mind as I reflected on Coach Stramp’s remarkable career and the way his years of action fulfilled his destiny.

Rob Stramp first gained recognition as an outfielder on the University of Texas’s 1975 national championship baseball team, alongside Rusty Pounds, Charles Proske, and Gary Hibbett.

After graduating, he built an outstanding high school coaching career, winning more than 500 games over 28 years. In 1998, he joined Keller High School, where his postseason success made him a Texas baseball legend. For nearly three decades, his teams were consistent playoff contenders, and his leadership was a positived influence on countless young athletes. By 2025, Coach Stramp had taken two of his teams to the state championship game, though both fell short.

In early 2026, he announced his retirement at the end of the baseball season. His team responded with inspiring play, and on his third trip to the state championship game, Coach Stramp finally secured a title.

Decades of selfless commitment to his players and teams had, at last, fulfilled an important part of his destiny. Horns up for Rob Stramp, an exceptional career, a lasting legacy, and a 2026 Texas high school state champion.

The above photo is of Robert in 1975 and in 2026. Robert Stramp is second row, second from the right in this national championship photo.

Learning curve failures will lead to success for those who are gritty and resilient. There is a process to success that requires experimentation, trial and error, success and failure. Coach Pat Patterson lived in this world of resilience as the visionary for men's and women's swimming teams in the early 1970s, a role that eventually led the Longhorns to the title as the greatest sports program in the history of College Sports under swim Coach Reese.

Coach Pat Patterson will serve as a Captain in the TLSN Legacy golf tournament, and it seems he already has his foursome ready to compete for the championship trophy. Recently, he sent TLSN an autographed football for auction at the event. One side reads, "Before COVID, the coaches who worked at UT in the 1970s, along with some members of the national championship teams, met on the first Thursday of each month at Rosie’s Tamale House in Oak Hill." Coach Patterson also shared a Daily Texan article featuring the first “Bevo Babes” for the men’s swimming team.

The photo below, mailed to me by Coach Patterson, features an unofficial group formed during his time as swim coach called the "Bevo Babes." Pictured are Tina Hill, Pam Jones, and Sandy Reaves in the back row, with Lourdes Montesino and Sandy Reaves in the front. 

Horns Are "America's Team" by Professor Larry Carlson https://texaslsn.org

All below are born and raised in Texans

Larry Carlson says, "It's a new day, suffice to say, with the transfer portal and NIL in full bloom. During UT's super regional win against Oregon, only two members of "the Texas nine" out on the field -- infielders Ethan Mendoza (Bedford) and Adrian Rodriguez (Flower Mound) — had landed in Austin from schools within the Lone Star State.

But nowadays, the Longhorn roster is heavily peppered with players from across the greatest country, the one celebrating its 250th birthday. From the West Coast to the East Coast, from Kansas to Wisconsin, states are no longer red or blue, they're burnt orange.

It hasn't always been that way. Not at all.

"There's no other program like that Longhorn baseball program. Most trips to the College World Series. Check. It's now at 39, as the Horns head to Omaha for big steaks and bigger stakes.

Biggest representation in the College Baseball Hall of Fame? Check. There are even four coaches (Billy Disch, Bibb Falk, Cliff Gustafson, and Augie Garrido) among the dozen Longhorns honored.

Of UT's eight players enshrined in the College HOF, all came to the Forty Acres from Texas high schools. You know the names. Odessa High's Richard Wortham. Brooks Kieschnick (Carroll) and Burt Hooton (King) of Corpus Christi plus Greg Swindell (Sharpstown), Kirk Dressendorfer (Pearland) and Jim Gideon (Bellaire) of Greater Houston, along with David Chalk (Dallas Kimball) and Keith Moreland (Carrolton) of the DFW Metroplex.

A half-century ago, a star player such as catcher Bill Berryhill (Bartlesville, OK) was just about the only out-of-state regular on the UT roster. "Foreigners" Buck Cody and Dooley Prince jumped out on the roster of the Horns' most recent national championship team, the 2005 squad, just because of their lack of Texan grooming. But Cody was an I-35er from OKC and Prince was from Sulphur, LA, just a 30-mile pirogue paddle from Orange.

Even a couple of years ago, players like outfielders Eric Kennedy, LeBarron Johnson, and Will Gasparino were outliers. The former two hailed from Florida and Gasparino was an Angelino who went home and played for UCLA this year.

For the rest of Larry's story with some photos visit the link

https://texaslsn.org/texaslonghornbaseball-americas-team/

The photo below is the 1973 Longhorn baseball team, basically Texas-born and raised.

A Story of Two Longhorn McElroy's - Nolte and John McElroy

Nolte McElroy

In 1928 Nolte McElroy, a 19-year-old U.T. football player, during fraternity initiation, was instructed to bend down and crawl through a set of bedsprings to which city light wires had been connected.

An excited, giggling crowd of Delta Kappa Epsilons was numbed into silence when McElroy fainted from shock and died 15 minutes later. Photo is the best I could find.

John McElroy

This is the story of a Longhorn walk-on football player who helped save the life of the future President of the United States. Author Perry Giles who wrote this exceptional article says

"Billy, would you be interested in a newspaper article I wrote about a young man from Waxahachie? " Perry says, "John McElroy spent two years as a football walk-on at UT before enlisting in the Navy during World War II. While serving as a PT boat skipper in the South Pacific, he helped save the life of the future U.S. president, then commander of PT-109."

Author Perry Giles shares his Longhorn passion, stating, “I grew up on UT football because my older brother attended from 1963 to 1967. My heroes were the teams of 1968, 1969, and 1970. I attended UT from 1973 to 1976, then married and took over the family business, Giles Monument Company in Waxahachie. Although I did not complete my degree, I left with a strong foundation in business and geology.”

Perry continues, "Walk-on Longhorn football player John McElroy says, "After graduating high school, I attended the University of Texas, where I majored in accounting. The football team ran an ad in the school newspaper asking for guys to try out, so I did… I played safety and punter for two years, but gave up football my junior year because it just took too much time away from my studies."

It was not long after graduating that WWII started, and after extensive training, he found himself the skipper of PT boat #161 at Guadalcanal, on one of the worst island-hopping fronts in the Pacific. The death toll was gruesome.

Longhorn Skipper John McElroy recounted a major battle where a Japanese destroyer struck a PT boat at high speed, slicing it in half. “There was an explosion and a massive fireball shooting high into the air. From various distances, our boats watching were convinced no one could have survived that inferno. That boat carried about 1,800 gallons of 100-octane gasoline. No wreckage or survivors were found by the other boats.” The vessel was PT-109, commanded by John Kennedy.

McElroy continues, "Five days later, a few of us saw two natives in an outrigger canoe approach our base on Rendova. They came ashore and handed us a green coconut shell, saying it was from Kennedy. We were stunned, as none of us had any reason to believe he or anyone from the 109 crew was still alive."

For the remainder of this very detailed story of the life of Longhorn football walk-on John McElory please visit the link https://texaslsn.org/john-mcelroy/.

Skipper John McElroy on left side in photo below

2005 National Baseball Champions

Augie Garrido said, “Life doesn’t give us what we pray for. It doesn’t give us what we wish for. It doesn’t give us anything other than opportunity, nothing more, nothing less, and that’s enough. In fact, it is a great gift.”  

TLSN has already shared the stories of the 1949, 1975, 1983, and 2002 national champions on its Facebook page.  The last championship was held 21 years ago, in 2005. 

Texas holds several NCAA records, including the most wins in a season (61 in 1975), the most consecutive conference wins (34 from 1975-1977), and the most conference championships (16).

If you have not read Augie's Bio, "Life is yours to win," you should.  

Here is Augie sharing the story of his book at the link 

https://youtu.be/KHErt1Go1qE?si=HPeMHgf_cmswd05h
  .
 
Like DKR, Augie had many insightful comments. Some of his wisdom is shared below in the history of Augie Garrido's years as a Longhorn.  The most important one was that Coach Garrido taught his players to stay in the moment (not the past) and focus on the fundamentals. He said, "Part of coaching fundamentals is Timing and rhythm...... These kids aren't machines. They have feelings: they have emotions. This isn't a game played by robots."

In 2002, Huston shares the realities of baseball as told to him by his father, James Street,  after pitching a game against Houston. Huston says, "I remember the crowd in that final game in Austin in 2002, with the Houston fans chanting and our fans yelling. And when we won it, I remember my dad, and what he told me that day has stayed with me forever. He said, 'Good job, Bubba.' Now you have to go out and do it again.”

In 2005, Maroul is the most outstanding player at Omaha with a batting average of .500 for the tournament
The Horns had two All-Americans, 16 picked up All-Big 12 accolades, and head coach Garrido was the National Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his career. Texas had 21 come-from-behind wins in 2005. The Horns set a single-season school record for fielding percentage (.978) and double plays (80).
A special moment, a coaching decision, and a young player with a special spirit all make college baseball history in 2005.  Chance Wheeless, who suffered a shoulder injury the day before, was scheduled as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 9th against Baylor, with the score tied  1-1. The Baylor team dominated the Horns during the regular season, and Chance was hurt, so Augie decided to send in a pinch hitter.  Chance objected and convinced Augie that he knew the Baylor pitcher’s tendency better than anyone and that he could handle the shoulder pain.  There was a collective moan from the fans and announcers when Wheeless stepped into the batter’s box.  No one could believe that Augie decided to let the injured Wheeless lead off. With the count at 1-1, please view the following video to see what happened.
https://youtu.be/07nyX-rfXBo

Photo above is the 2005 National champion Longhorn baseball team.

The photo below is of 2005-2006 Carson Kainer, Chance Wheeless, and Nick Peoples

THE PRIDE OF A SON

BillDale says, "As promised to all who read the TLSN newsletter, to celebrate the history of Longhorn sports, if you share special moments, TLSN will publish them in some form." Here’s Craig Muennink’s story about his father. I am Billydale1@gmail.com.

A SONS PRIDE- Craig says, "Hi, Billy! My dad, Jerry Muennink, played for Darryl Royal 56-60. Jack Rushing worked for my dad in the summer and coached me back in Hondo. What great times back then." " After I saw your post on Facebook, I felt that I wanted to share with other Longhorns the pride that I have that my dad, who played for one of the greatest head coaches, Darrel Royal. What great times back then. You may even remember Jack Rushing, who coached me in Hondo."

Jerry Muennink — Texas Longhorns (1950s)

Jerry was the 6'1", 210 lbs center who played high school in Hondo, Texas.

Lettering at Texas in 1957, 1958, 1959, Senior Season, wearing jersey #63. In 1959, his team finished with a 9-2 record and lost to Syracuse in the 1969 Cotton Bowl. That 1959 squad was Darrell Royal’s first great Texas team — SWC co‑champions, Cotton Bowl appearance, and the beginning of the Royal era’s national rise.

Muennink is one of those classic Royal‑era trench players — tough, rural, but technically sharp and extremely physical. He fits the archetype of the South Texas grinder that Royal loved- disciplined, durable, team‑first, willing to play through pain.

Players like Muennink formed the backbone of the team, making it possible in the mid‑60s to attract national championship caliber players like Nobis, Culpepper, Leaks, Earl Campbell, Worster, Atessis, Wuensch, Halsell and the list goes on .

The link to Jerry's post on TLSN is at:

https://texaslsn.org/a-sons-pride-craig-muennink-shares-his-story-about-his-dad-who-started-for-coach-royal-during-the-1956-1960-era-including-the-syracuse-game/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExT2hhRndZQjl1dnphYTVCcXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6eRwdE2ZzLOFHi_49gasmDWxPMt3qerrJlsUoscoYxeZA8usldRIV6UguURw_aem_VoAqWZJTf63dYM-V4fDyhw

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https://texaslsn.org/?give_forms=givewp-donation-form-2

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Volume X Newsletter #12 6/12/2026