Michael Barry Cotten (December 12, 1939 – May 25, 2024) was an American football player who was the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns and the Quantico Marines in the early 1960s.
He was an All-District, All-State and All-America quarterback who led Austin High School to the state semi-finals and their last playoff win in of the 20th century.
[2] In Mike Cotten's second year he was one of four players to take snaps under center, but he was the primary backup to starter Bobby Lackey.
In 1961 Cotten was quarterback and co-captain of the first Darrell Royal Longhorn team to contend for the national title.
After beating everyone but Oklahoma by at least 3 touchdowns and with only two very beatable teams left on the schedule, they seemed to be a lock to finish the season ranked No.
Texas went to the Cotton Bowl, by virtue of their head-to-head victory over the Razorbacks, and there Cotten ran the offense with such efficiency that he was named the Outstanding back in the team's 12–7 win over No.
That team went 6–5, with victories over Dayton and Villanova, and it ended the season with an upset of Memphis State, thus denying them a trip to the Liberty Bowl.
[1] When Cotten's tour of duty was completed in 1968, he returned to Austin, Texas, and became a lawyer with Clark, Thomas & Winters, a firm that focuses on civil practice such as regulatory and state agency work.