Huntsman played football as a quarterback at Wabash College from 1948 through 1951, where he was selected ‘All-State’ in his senior season.
He served as the head basketball coach at Waveland High, leading the Hornets to a 20–4 record and the Montgomery County Tournament title.
Following the 1960 school year, he moved to Earlham College and spent four highly successful seasons as the head coaching job.
He left his hometown of Richmond, Indiana (home of Earlham College) with a career coaching record of 62–15–3.
In 1965, he arrived in Terre Haute as an offensive assistant (backs) and joined a staff, one season removed from an Indiana Collegiate Conference championship.