RW Sports: William “Bill” Hayes named new FAMU Athletic Director

William “Bill” Hayes, former director of Intercollegiate Athletics at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), has been hired as the new Athletic director at Florida A&M University.

The FAMU Board of Trustees approved his three-year contract today. He will report to work on January 2, 2008, at a salary of $175,000.

Hayes, a native of Durham, N.C., and a 1965 graduate of NCCU, directed NCCU to its most successful season in school history in 2006-2007, with four conference titles and five NCAA Championship team qualifiers. The Eagles placed 24th in the final standings of the U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup, the prestigious award presented annually to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country.

In addition, Hayes was recognized as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (CIAA) top athletic administrator by being presented with the 2007 Jeanette A. Lee Athletic Administration Award. A year earlier, he was selected as the 2006 CIAA Athletics Director of the Year after guiding the program to its most successful season, at the time, in school history with four conference titles and four NCAA Championship team qualifiers during the 2005-2006 slate.

FAMU President James H. Ammons said given that the university has an active athletic program and recruiting is imminent for several fall sports, including football, the hiring of Hayes was necessary to move the athletics program forward.

“Mr. Hayes’ record speaks for itself as it shows his passion for athletics,” Ammons said. “I am sure he is ready for the challenge and the responsibility of continuing to build a strong foundation for the athletic program here at Florida A&M University.”

NCCU also had the most productive fundraising campaign of any athletics department among all Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The foundation of his fundraising success was built when he initiated the “$1,000 Eagles” campaign with the slogan, “1,000 Eagles giving $1,000 . . . Springboard to $1 Million.”

He has been inducted into three halls of fame, including the NCCU Alex M. Riveria Athletic Hall of Fame; the Winston-Salem State University Clarence E. “Big House” Gaines Athletic Hall of Fame; and the CIAA John B. McLendon Jr. Hall of Fame.

Hayes has had an illustrious coaching career prior to becoming Director of Athletics at NCCU. During his 27 seasons as head coach at Winston-Salem State University (1976-1987) and North Carolina A&T State University (1988-2002), Hayes amassed 195 wins along with six conference championships.

He has also coached at the high school level at Paisley High School in North Carolina (1966), North Forsyth High School (1967-1971) and his alma mater Hillside High School (1972), before accepting his first college job as offensive backs coach at Wake Forest University (1973-1975). His first football coaching job was at Northside High School in Greatha, Va.

Hayes was a multi-sport student-athlete at Hillside High School before attending NCCU, where he played four seasons as a linebacker and center for the Eagles. He earned three All-America citations (1962-1964, Pittsburg Courier) before graduating in 1965 with a degree in physical education.

Hayes is married to the former Carolyn Pratt of Durham, N.C., and they have a son, William Jr., and a daughter, Sherri Walker.