Bill Hayes

William Hayes (born June 1, 1943) is an American former football coach and college athletics administrator. He retired as the athletic director at Winston-Salem State University in 2014. Hayes served as the head football coach at Winston-Salem State from 1976 to 1987 and at North Carolina A&T State University from 1988 to 2003, compiling a career college football record of 195–104–2. In 27 seasons as a head coach, Hayes has the distinction of being the winningest coach at both football programs. He is an alumnus of North Carolina Central University.

Coaching career Hayes started his coaching career as a running backs coach on the coaching staff at Wake Forest University, from 1973 to 1975, making him one of the first African-American coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the Division II level at Winston-Salem State, the Rams under Hayes won three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titles, and made two Division II playoff appearances, in 1978 and 1987. At North Carolina A&T on the Division I-AA level, the Aggies under Hayes won three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles and made two Division I-AA playoff appearances, in 1992 and 1999. The Aggies also appeared in the now defunct post-season HBCU bowl game, the Heritage Bowl in 1991.

Hayes coached a number of players who went to play in the NFL or CFL: Timmy Newsome (running back), Donald Evans (defensive end), and Anthony Blaylock (defensive back) from Winston-Salem State, and Jamain Stephens (offensive lineman), Curtis Deloatch (defensive back), Maurice Hicks (running back), Michael Basnight (running back), Jamal Jones (wide receiver), Junius Coston (offensive line), Qasim Mitchell (offensive lineman) from North Carolina A&T, Yancey Thigpen (Wide Receiver) from Winston-Salem State.

Administrative career Hayes became a university administrator after he ended his coaching career. He served as athletic director at his alma mater, North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, from 2003 to 2007, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida from December 2007 to December 2009, and Winston-Salem State University from 2010 to 2014.

Head coaching record