Bill Hayward
Encyclopedia
William Louis "Colonel Bill" Hayward (July 2, 1868 – December 14, 1947) was a track and field
coach for the University of Oregon
for 44 years, and a coach for six United States
Olympics teams.
in 1868, but grew up in Toronto
. An all-around athlete likened to Jim Thorpe
, Hayward excelled at ice hockey
, rowing
, wrestling
, boxing
, and played lacrosse
on one of the Ottawa Capitals
' world championship teams of the 1890s. Hayward was also renowned as one of Canada's fastest sprinters, running distances from 75 to 600 yards.
coach first at Princeton University
in 1898, and then at California
. In 1901, he moved to Oregon
, becoming the head track coach at Pacific University
in Forest Grove
, where he trained legendary athlete and future Olympic gold medalist A. C. Gilbert and coached the Boxers to the state collegiate track championship.
In 1903, he took the head job at Albany College (now Lewis & Clark College
), where his track team defeated the University of Oregon
. Oregon promptly hired him as their first permanent track coach the next year.
team, Hayward (who was known as "Colonel Bill" due to his gruff demeanor) built Oregon's track program into one of regional dominance and national prominence over his 44 years as coach. In all, he coached four track world record holders, six American record holders and nine Olympians. Notable Oregon athletes trained by Hayward include:
In addition to his track coaching duties, Hayward served as the athletic trainer
for Oregon's football team, where he was known for inventing knee braces and other equipment for the players. He also coached Oregon's men's basketball team from 1903 to 1913 and again in 1917-1918, compiling an overall record of 34-29.
In 1912, Hayward was selected as a coach for the United States team at the 1912 Summer Olympics
in Stockholm, Sweden, the first of a string of six Olympics games in which he coached.
, which was also the site of Oregon's football field. The field was upgraded several times to accommodate the needs of the growing track and field program, but by 1912, plans for a new facility were made. In 1919, a new football field was built and named Hayward Field
in Coach Hayward's honor, though it would be two more years before track and field facilities were installed. In 1967, the opening of Autzen Stadium
for football gave the track and field team exclusive use of Hayward Field.
John Warren succeeded Hayward for the 1947-1948 Oregon school year, giving way to Bill Bowerman
, who became Oregon's head track coach in 1948.
Hayward was an inaugural inductee to both the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1980 and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2005, he was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The Bill Hayward Amateur Athlete of Year Award is given annually to the best amateur athlete in the state of Oregon.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach for the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
for 44 years, and a coach for six United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Olympics teams.
Athletic career
Hayward was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1868, but grew up in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. An all-around athlete likened to Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
, Hayward excelled at ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and played lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
on one of the Ottawa Capitals
Ottawa Capitals
The Ottawa Capitals were an early amateur senior men's ice hockey club playing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from the 1890s until 1920. The club would challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1897, but abandon its challenge after one game, after it lost 15–2. It would later precipitate the breakup of the...
' world championship teams of the 1890s. Hayward was also renowned as one of Canada's fastest sprinters, running distances from 75 to 600 yards.
Early coaching career
Hayward's first coaching job was as an assistant trackTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach first at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1898, and then at California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
. In 1901, he moved to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, becoming the head track coach at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
in Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
, where he trained legendary athlete and future Olympic gold medalist A. C. Gilbert and coached the Boxers to the state collegiate track championship.
In 1903, he took the head job at Albany College (now Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...
), where his track team defeated the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. Oregon promptly hired him as their first permanent track coach the next year.
Oregon and Olympic career
As head coach of the Oregon Ducks track and fieldOregon Ducks track and field
The Oregon Ducks Track and Field program is the intercollegiate track and field team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference. The team participates in indoor and outdoor track and...
team, Hayward (who was known as "Colonel Bill" due to his gruff demeanor) built Oregon's track program into one of regional dominance and national prominence over his 44 years as coach. In all, he coached four track world record holders, six American record holders and nine Olympians. Notable Oregon athletes trained by Hayward include:
- sprinter Daniel Kelly, set records in the 100-yard dash100-yard dashThe 100 yard dash is a track and field event of 100 yards or 91.44 metres. It was part of the Commonwealth Games until 1966, and was included in the decathlon of the Olympics, at least in 1904. It is not generally used in international events...
at 9.6 seconds in 1906 and the 220 yard run (21.1 seconds), won silver medalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
in the 1908 Summer Olympics1908 Summer OlympicsThe 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games... - hurdler Martin HawkinsMartin HawkinsMartin William Hawkins was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 110 metre hurdles.He competed for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden in the 110 metre hurdles where he won the bronze medal.A track star at the University of Oregon, Hawkins later...
, won a bronze medalBronze medalA bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 100 meter hurdles in the 1912 Summer Olympics1912 Summer OlympicsThe 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports... - pole vaulter Ralph Spearow, set the world record in the pole vaultWorld record progression pole vault menThe first world record in the men's pole vault was recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1912.As of June 21, 2009, 71 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event.- Record Progression :- See also :...
in 1924 - long distance runner Ralph HillRalph HillRalph Anthony Hill was an American long distance runner.Hill studied at the University of Oregon when competing in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on the 5000 m. In an exciting race on Aug 5 1932, he came in second behind Lauri Lehtinen, with each runner recording a time of 14.30,0...
, won a silver medalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the 5000 meters at the 1932 Summer Olympics1932 Summer OlympicsThe 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations... - discus thrower Ed Moeller, set the world record in the discus throwDiscus throwThe discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
in 1929 - javelin thrower Bob Parke, 1934 NCAA champion in the javelin
- sprinter Mack Robinson, 1938 NCAA champion in the 220 yard dash, won a silver medalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the 200 meters at the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona... - pole vaulter George VaroffGeorge VaroffGeorge Dimitri Varoff was an American pole vaulter.-Early life:Varoff was born in Hawaii to Ukrainian immigrants and grew up in San Francisco, where he competed for Balboa High School...
, who set the world record in the pole vaultWorld record progression pole vault menThe first world record in the men's pole vault was recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1912.As of June 21, 2009, 71 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event.- Record Progression :- See also :...
in 1936 - high jumper Les Steers, who set three world records and was NCAA champion in the high jumpWorld record progression high jump menThe first world record in the men's high jump was recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1912.As of June, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 40 world records in the event.- Record Progression :-See also:...
in 1941 - Bill BowermanBill BowermanWilliam Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
, who would succeed Hayward as coach and was a co-founder of Nike Inc.
In addition to his track coaching duties, Hayward served as the athletic trainer
Athletic trainer
An athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
for Oregon's football team, where he was known for inventing knee braces and other equipment for the players. He also coached Oregon's men's basketball team from 1903 to 1913 and again in 1917-1918, compiling an overall record of 34-29.
In 1912, Hayward was selected as a coach for the United States team at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
in Stockholm, Sweden, the first of a string of six Olympics games in which he coached.
Hayward Field
Prior to 1921, Hayward's athletes trained at Kincaid FieldKincaid Field
Kincaid Field was an athletic field located at the University of Oregon. The University acquired the property and used it for athletics from ca. 1902 until 1922, with Hayward Field succeeding its role. Kincaid Field was located on what is now the Memorial Quadrangle.- External links :*...
, which was also the site of Oregon's football field. The field was upgraded several times to accommodate the needs of the growing track and field program, but by 1912, plans for a new facility were made. In 1919, a new football field was built and named Hayward Field
Hayward Field
Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the best-known historic track and field stadiums in the United States. Nearly a century in age, it was the home of the University of Oregon's football team from 1919 through 1966, and has been the home to the Ducks' track and field teams since 1921...
in Coach Hayward's honor, though it would be two more years before track and field facilities were installed. In 1967, the opening of Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-12 Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions...
for football gave the track and field team exclusive use of Hayward Field.
Death and legacy
Hayward retired from coaching in the fall of 1947. He was hospitalized a few months later after being stricken with a heart ailment, and died in the hospital on December 14, 1947. Hayward was buried at Rest-Haven Cemetery in Eugene, OR.John Warren succeeded Hayward for the 1947-1948 Oregon school year, giving way to Bill Bowerman
Bill Bowerman
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
, who became Oregon's head track coach in 1948.
Hayward was an inaugural inductee to both the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1980 and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2005, he was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The Bill Hayward Amateur Athlete of Year Award is given annually to the best amateur athlete in the state of Oregon.