Hayes, Woody (Wayne Woodrow)
Football
b. Feb. 13, 1913, Clifton, OH
d. March 12, 1987
Hayes played tackle at Denison University in Ohio, graduating in 1935, and then became a high school teacher and coach. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he returned to Denison as head football coach in 1946 and produced unbeaten teams in 1947 and 1948.
Miami University of Ohio hired Hayes in 1949. His 1950 Miami team won 9 of 10 regular season games and beat Arizona State 34-21 in the Salad Bowl. Hayes then became coach at Ohio State University, where he won 205 games while losing 68 and tying 10 in 28 seasons.
His teams featured the "three yards and a cloud of dust" offense, with big, powerful lines and usually a hard-running fullback. In 1954, Ohio State won all 9 regular season games, beat Southern California 20-7 in the Rose Bowl, and was consensus national champion. The Buckeyes were also named national champion by United Press in 1957 and Hayes was voted coach of the year after an 8-1-0 regular season and a 10-7 victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
A student of military history whose idol was George S. Patton, Hayes was a fiery, volatile leader who took a paternal interest in his players but frequently fought with people from outside his football family. When the Ohio State faculty committee voted to turn down a bid for the 1962 Rose Bowl, Hayes gave an impromptu speech at a rally in which he said he respected the integrity, but not the intelligence, of the committee members.
From that time on, his relations with the administration and faculty were strained, but strong support from alumni and players gave him job security. The end of his coaching career came after the 1978 Gator Bowl. A Clemson linebacker intercepted a pass near the end of the game to preserve a 17-15 victory over Ohio State, ran out of bounds, and Hayes attacked him before a national television audience. He was forced to resign shortly afterward.
During his 33 years as a head coach, Hayes had 238 wins, fifth on the all-time list, while losing 72 and tying 10. His .759 winning percentage is twenty-seventh best in history.