Eric Hays

Eric Hays outside of Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana, where he taught and coached basketball for 25 years. Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2010. Eric Hays is a former University of Montana basketball player who served as head basketball coach of at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana, for 25 years. He was a mathematics teacher there until his retirement in 2009.

Hays is best remembered for his performance at the 1975 NCAA tournament against the powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the Sweet 16. He scored a game-high 32 points on 13-of-16 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists in the Grizzlies' 67–64 loss to the eventual national champions, who had six players that went on to play in the NBA.

College career Hays attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Originally, he planned on being an accountant, but changed his aspirations toward coaching after observing one of his brother's high school games, in which he thought the coaching was "unfair" to the players. Hays then declared his major as math education and pursued his goals of becoming a high school teacher and basketball coach.

Hays' high school dream was realized in his final year as a collegiate basketball player. He had always wanted to play at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. In the final game of his college career, the 6-foot-3 Hays racked up a game- and career-high 32 points, almost singlehandedly willing his team to stay right with UCLA. Despite his efforts, Montana fell short 67–64, but the game continues to be talked about and Hays still is asked if he's "Eric Hays, the basketball player." but failed to make the team.

Eric and Deb Hays moved to Sheridan, Oregon, 75 miles north of Junction City, after his brief stint in Milwaukee. Hays took a job as the lone faculty member that made up the entire mathematics department at Sheridan High School, which consisted of 200 students in four grades. In addition to his teaching duties, he accepted positions as the assistant football coach, the junior varsity basketball coach and the head baseball coach at the high school. the most in school history, and three state championships in 1985, 1990 and 1993.

Teaching career Hays returned to his home-state of Oregon for a brief stint at Sheridan High School as the only mathematics teacher at the school stretching from 1975 to 1976. He teamed with eventual 1978 NBA fourth overall pick Michael Ray Richardson (New York Knicks) to lead the 1975 Grizzlies on their historic journey to the NCAA tournament.

Hays is currently working as a volunteer assistant coach alongside his son, Jeff, who is following in his father's footsteps and has recently accepted the head coaching position at Hellgate. ) investments in Missoula.