Akers served as the head football coach at the Texas from 1977-1986 posting a stellar record of 86-31-2 that included a pair of SWC championships in 1977 and 1983. He also guided the Longhorns to nine bowl games in 10 seasons. In 1977 Akers installed the I formation and more importantly, moved Earl Campbell from fullback to tailback. The Longhorns started the season 11-0 and climbed to the No. 1 ranking in the polls. Although they lost their bid for a national championship to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, Earl Campbell topped off his historic season by winning the 1977 Heisman Trophy. Akers followed the spectacular 1977 season with nine consecutive winning seasons and nine bowl invitations in a row. In 1978 the Longhorns were 9-3 and finished the year ranked 9th nationally. Texas matched that record in 1979 and earned a No. 12 national ranking. In 1981 Akers' team had a 10-1-1 record that included a 14-12 upset of No. 3 Alabama in the Cotton Bowl that led to a No. 2 ranking for Texas. Akers' teams also had three 10-win seasons, four Top-10 finishes in final polls. He coached two Lombardi Trophy winners - Kenneth Sims and Tony Degrate, and Outland Trophy winner in Brad Shearer along with 48 other players who earned All-SWC honors. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.