1980-1989
Fred Akers would no doubt have agreed with that early coach who commented that Texas fans were “too picky.” Although Akers managed a winning season for nine of his ten years at UT, he was never able to make it all the way to the national championships and so, in 1987, Akers moved on and let another Royal protégé, David McWilliams, assume the head coaching duties for the Longhorns. McWilliams was a popular choice, as he was co-captain of the 1963 National Championship team, and he had worked for Darrell Royal for a number of years. McWilliam’s 1987 season was a great success, with the team going 7-5 and beating Pittsburgh in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
Cathy Munson
In 1982, nationally-recognized graphic artist Cathy Munson began designing the program covers for the Longhorns. A native of Austin, Munson graduated with honors from UT after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art. Since graduation, she has worked continuously as an illustrator and artist in the Austin area, doing work for Texas Parks and Wildlife, UT, and many other clients. She currently operates Munson's Studio in Austin.
Munson brought her own distinctive style to the Longhorn programs, and in doing so, helped establish the image of UT athletics at the end of the twentieth century. Munson's elegant drawings-in tones of sepia, burnt orange and black-relied on tradition and dignity to tell the story of the Longhorns. Her 1982 homecoming cover, for instance, contains a single image of the head of Bevo. However, Bevo is not drawn to amuse, but to inspire admiration and pride. The eyes show intelligence, the intricate coloration on the sweep of the neck heightens the sense that there are strong, powerful muscles under this skin.
In 1983, Munson executed a series of covers to honor the University's Centennial. Munson's drawing for the 1983 Oklahoma Game, for instance, speaks eloquently of the long history of the Red River rivalry by including players in 1920s uniforms alongside Big Tex from the Dallas Fairgrounds and the modern players. Similarly, her cover for the 1983 Baylor game suggests the history of change in UT's coaching staff over the course of the century. Munson has completed a number of other pieces of art for UT Athletics, including program covers for the Texas Relays, prints of Bevo X, XII and XIII, and a mural for the Mike Myers Soccer Stadium. Munson's drawings of Bevo are, for many people, the image of what a longhorn should look like. Her art is sold in Austin by Warm River Gallery.