Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Hayes to be inducted into OVC Hall of Fame
5/3/2023 10:00:00 AM | Track & Field/Cross Country
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Legendary Middle Tennessee track and field coach Dean Hayes will be inducted posthumously into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame on Friday, June 2 in Nashville. Hayes will be inducted with former UT Martin head men's golf coach Jerry Carpenter and former SIUE head women's softball coach and administrator Sandy Montgomery.
The induction will take place at the Hilton Franklin Cool Springs during the annual OVC Honors Brunch.
Hayes, who passed away in January 2022, was revered locally, regionally, nationally and internationally as he promoted track and field around the globe. He took over as head coach at Middle Tennessee in 1965 and turned the program into a juggernaut, serving as head coach for 56 years.
During his tenure in the OVC, he led MTSU to 29 OVC titles, more than any other OVC member in conference history. He coached Blue Raider athletes to 374 individual or relay championships, had 28 individuals earn All-American status a total of 53 times and led MTSU to 15 NCAA Top 25 finishes. Additionally, he had athletes earn six individual national championships. He was named OVC Coach of the Year 15 times, including 10 in a row from 1977-86. Hayes was named the USTFCCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981 and served as that coaches association President in 1982-83.
Hayes saw nine of his OVC-era athletes compete in the Olympics and had numerous athletes compete in the Goodwill Games, the World University Games, the World Cup, the World Championship, the Pan-Am Games and the African Championships.
He was also credited with integrating MTSU athletics, with Jerry Singleton becoming the first African American varsity scholarship athlete at the school in 1965. He is already a member of the USTFCCA Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Illinois Sports of Hall of Fame, the MTSU Blue Raider Hall of Fame, the Lake Forest College (his alma mater) Hall of Fame and the Naperville High School Hall of Fame. In 2009, the outdoor track stadium at MTSU was named Dean A. Hayes Stadium.
The induction will take place at the Hilton Franklin Cool Springs during the annual OVC Honors Brunch.
Hayes, who passed away in January 2022, was revered locally, regionally, nationally and internationally as he promoted track and field around the globe. He took over as head coach at Middle Tennessee in 1965 and turned the program into a juggernaut, serving as head coach for 56 years.
During his tenure in the OVC, he led MTSU to 29 OVC titles, more than any other OVC member in conference history. He coached Blue Raider athletes to 374 individual or relay championships, had 28 individuals earn All-American status a total of 53 times and led MTSU to 15 NCAA Top 25 finishes. Additionally, he had athletes earn six individual national championships. He was named OVC Coach of the Year 15 times, including 10 in a row from 1977-86. Hayes was named the USTFCCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981 and served as that coaches association President in 1982-83.
Hayes saw nine of his OVC-era athletes compete in the Olympics and had numerous athletes compete in the Goodwill Games, the World University Games, the World Cup, the World Championship, the Pan-Am Games and the African Championships.
He was also credited with integrating MTSU athletics, with Jerry Singleton becoming the first African American varsity scholarship athlete at the school in 1965. He is already a member of the USTFCCA Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Illinois Sports of Hall of Fame, the MTSU Blue Raider Hall of Fame, the Lake Forest College (his alma mater) Hall of Fame and the Naperville High School Hall of Fame. In 2009, the outdoor track stadium at MTSU was named Dean A. Hayes Stadium.
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