Chena Gilstrap

Chena Gilstrap

Biographical details
Born	(1914-07-31)July 31, 1914 Granger, Texas, U.S.
Died	August 9, 2002(2002-08-09) (aged 88) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1948–1949	Paris
1950–1952	Schreiner
1953–1965	Arlington State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1952–1975	Arlington State / Texas–Arlington
Head coaching record
Overall	34–31 (college) 80–30–3 (junior college)
Bowls	2–1 (junior college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 Pioneer Conference (1953, 1956–1957)

Claude Robbins "Chena" Gilstrap (July 31, 1914 – August 9, 2002) was an American football coach. He was the ninth head football coach at Arlington State College—now known as the University of Texas at Arlington—serving for 13 seasons, from 1953 to 1965, compiling a record of 85–40–3.

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. The 1957 Arlington State Rebels football team was undefeated and ranked No. 1 nationally among junior colleges. Gilstrap guided UTA from junior college status to a four-year program in 1959. He died in 2002; he had been suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Arlington State Rebels (NCAA College Division independent) (1959–1965)
1959	Arlington State	4–3
1960	Arlington State	9–2
1961	Arlington State	7–3
1962	Arlington State	4–6
1963	Arlington State	1–8
Arlington State Rebels (Southland Conference) (1964–1965)
1964	Arlington State	3–6–1	0–3–1	5th
1965	Arlington State	6–3	2–2	T–2nd
Arlington State:		34–31	2–5–1
Total:		34–31

Junior college

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Paris Dragons (Southwestern Junior College Conference) (1948–1949)
1948	Paris	8–3	5–2	T–2nd	L Oleander Bowl
1949	Paris	3–7	2–5	6th
Paris:		11–10	7–7
Schreiner Mountaineers (Pioneer Conference) (1950–1952)
1950	Schreiner	7–3	1–2	3rd
1951	Schreiner	6–4	2–2	2nd
1952	Schreiner	5–4–1	2–2	T–2nd
Schreiner:		18–11–1	5–6
Arlington State Rebels (Pioneer Conference) (1953–1958)
1953	Arlington State	8–1	4–0	1st
1954	Arlington State	8–2	2–2	T–3rd
1955	Arlington State	7–3	3–1	2nd
1956	Arlington State	9–1–1	3–1	T–1st	W Junior Rose Bowl
1957	Arlington State	12–0	4–0	1st	W Junior Rose Bowl
1958	Arlington State	7–2–1	4–1–1	T–2nd
Arlington State:		51–9–2	20–5–1
Total:		80–30–3
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

External links

• Chena Gilstrap at Find a Grave