Cliff Hysell (2004) - Hall of Fame - Montana State University Athletics

Cliff Hysell

Induction:
2004
Class:
1999

Cliff Hysell Football 1963-66, 1992-99 Years at MSU: 1963-65, ’72-81, ’92-99 Honors Earned: Part of four Big Sky titles Hometown: Helena, Montana “Cliff Hysell revived Bobcat football. He gave the program toughness and discipline. He brought back pride. Cliff and his staff built the foundation of the program’s success.” –Mike Kramer, current MSU coach, and his predecessor. Cliff Hysell rode into Bozeman like a cowboy in December, 1991, ready to restore the Bobcat football program. He rode into the sunset in 1999, looking a lot like John Wayne in The Searchers. And in between, like a lawman in a dusty cowtown in an old western, Hysell brought order. He brought toughness and discipline. And most importantly, he brought back the Bobcats. Hysell’s teams played with the trademark toughness established even before his first two tours of duty at MSU. He played for the ‘Cats after transferring from UTAH in 1964 and ’65, and was an assistant coach at MSU from 1972-81. He won one Big Sky crown as a player and three more as an assistant coach, when, working for Sonny Holland and then Sonny Lubick, Montana State was one of the legendary football programs in the west. In spite of his tremendous work as an MSU player and assistant, Hysell’s legacy is as Bobcat head coach. His program played for the Big Sky title on the last weekend of the season three times. His 41 wins is second in school history, and his four winning seasons was twice more than in the decades prior to his arrival. And still, his legacy won’t be wins and losses. It will be things you can’t measure. Like pride. And toughness. The things it takes to be a Bobcat.