30 Best College Football Coaches of All-Time
By Hayden Hyde
6. Wayne “Woody” Hayes
- Career Record: 238-72-10
- Record at Each School: 19-6 at Denison, 14-5 at Miami, 205-61-10 at Ohio State.
- Bowl Record: 6-6
- Honors and Awards: Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. 5 National Championships, 13 Big Ten Championships, 1 OAC Championship, 1 Mid-American Championship. 2-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Wayne Hayes, or better known as “Woody”, is the greatest coach in Ohio State’s rich history.
During his tenure with the Buckeyes, Hayes collected five national championships and 13 Big Ten championships. Ohio State only suffered two losing seasons from 1951-1978 and consistently finished in the AP’s final top 10 polls.
Although Hayes was a great man, friend, and coach, many people remember him for the incident at the end of the 1978 Gator Bowl. Charlie Bauman, a Clemson football player, was on the wrong end of Hayes’ fist at the end of the game. This wasn’t the only time Hayes let his character get the best of him, but it was the final nail in his coaching career coffin.
The fiery Buckeye coach was tough and hard-nosed, which is pretty much exactly what you’d imagine a football coach to be in that era. However, he let his temper get the best of him too often.
Despite his irritability, we should all remember Hayes for who he was and that’s one of the greatest college coaches to ever patrol the sidelines.
Next: Tom Osborne