Woody Hayes

Bio

Keep cool baby, and run those fat tackles to death. That's a quote from an Ohio State grad who described his school's football style. This was 1951-78, the years under Wayne Woodrow Hayes. "Three yards and a cloud of dust." If not a quote from Hayes himself, it was a successful battle plan according to his fans and critics alike. Hayes coached high school football, served in the U.S. Navy for just over five years and then coached at Denison and Miami of Ohio before coming to Ohio State in 1951. Hayes turned out teams that filled Ohio Stadium with avid fans, as the Buckeyes led the nation in home attendance in 21 of his 28 years. His OSU teams rolled to a 205-61-10 record, won 13 Big Ten Championships and added three National Championships. He produced three Heisman Trophy winners and 51 first-team All-America selections. Twice - in the mid 1950s and again in the late 1960s - his OSU teams recorded 17 straight Big Ten wins. All told, Hayes' career record stands at 238-72-10. Hayes played tackle at Denison 1933-1935. He coached 1936-1940, at high schools in Mingo Junction and New Philadelphia in Ohio. Hayes was in the Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant commander in World War II. He coached Denison 1946-1948 with a 19-6 record, coached Miami 1949-1950 with 14-5 record, then moved to Ohio State. He majored in English in college and always emphasized educational values in talks with players.