Woody Hayes was born 100 years ago today. Woody Hayes coached at Ohio State for 28 seasons and won 5ive National Titles and 13 Big Ten Titles. He was the head coach from 1951-78.

Some thoughts on Woody Hayes.

• He will always be remembered for the bad ending-punching the kid from Clemson near the end of the Gator Bowl in 1978. I remember watching that game. When he punched the kid I thought I was seeing things. The announcers didn’t mention it. I was sure I saw what I saw. When I got up the next morning it was the story of the day- Woody Hayes fired for punching Clemson’s Charlie Bauman after he picked off an Art Schlister pass.  A sad ending for a great coach. But it was bound to end like that. Woody Hayes was Bobby Knight BEFORE Bobby Knight. He was known for his explosions during games.
• Woody Hayes punching Charlie Bauman gave Ohio State a way out. Woody at that point in his career was getting old and was in failing health. The kids weren’t listening to him anymore. The program was starting to slip. The problem-how do you fire a legend? They couldn’t, until the Gator Bowl incident and Woody gave them a reason.
• Woody Hayes and the Ohio State Buckeyes were always known for running the ball. Three yards and a cloud of dust. Woody always said that when you threw the ball three things could happen and two of them were bad. It is odd how it all ended. He recruited the number one prospect in the nation-Art Schlister and told him he would open up the offense. An intercepted pass ended a great career.
• Woody Hayes was an incredible man. Those who thought -this guy is just a tyrant, a blowhard..didn’t know the real Woody Hayes that his players knew. He was an incredibly loyal man to his players. He taught them more than football. His old players always testified about how Woody was a towering figure in their lives.  He was like a Lombardi was to his Packer players. Woody didn’t give a hoot about making money. The man kept his phone number in the phone book. A friend of mine once called and talked to him. Woody was an intelligent, well read man who was a history buff. He did have an awful  temper. The Woody stories are legendary.
• The 10 Year War- Ohio State vs Michigan- Woody vs Bo was one of the greatest coaching battles ever. Bo learned the craft as an assistant to Woody-then went to “That school up north” Ohio State vs Michigan is still a great rivalry and a lot of it goes back to the Woody vs Bo games in the late 1960’s-1970’s. There is an excellent book about it “The Ten Year War” I believe it is called- a fun read.
• I don’t know if Woody would make it today. He would have to change. The stuff he got away with back then wouldn’t fly today. He was a great coach. Maybe he could have adjusted his personality to the times. Kids aren’t going to be hit by their coach anymore and just shake it off.
• I rooted for those Ohio State teams. His greatest team was probably the 1968 National Championship team.
• One of my favourite Woody stories is- one of his assistant coaches was up in Michigan on a recruiting trip. One the way back he was running out of gas and near the Ohio state line. He didn’t know if he was going to make it to Ohio without running out of gas but he chanced it and made it. He knew if he stopped and got gas in Michigan and turned that in- Woody would explode. He wouldn’t want a cent spent in that ‘state up north’
• Woody was one of those guys who just looked old. I can’t believe it when I see pictures of him during his 50’s he looked so much older. He seemed from a different age and time. Even when he was fired he was 64 years old but looked at least ten years older.
• There is no one around today like a Woody Hayes. Bob Knight was as close to Woody as it gets. Knight was a greater coach then Woody and had the worse temper. I think it is kind of a shame that when his name comes up the first thought it “the coach that punched the opposing player and got fired” there was much more to the man.  The man changed hundreds of people’s lives.
• Woody Hayes died in 1987 at the age of 74.