Okla-homey
12/30/2008, 07:44 AM
December 30, 1978: OSU fires Coach Woody Hayes for attacking an opposing player
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/26/woodygg3.jpg
Thirty years ago today, Ohio State University makes the decision to fire its 65-year-old football coach, Woody Hayes, one day after Hayes punched a player on the opposing team near the end of the Gator Bowl.
Born in Clifton, Ohio, in 1913, Hayes played college football at Denison University before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. He returned to his alma mater as a coach upon his discharge in 1946.
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/1425/woody1257hx4.jpg
Lt. Woody Hayes (center)
"Just remember one thing. I can do your job, but you can't do mine." - to an OSU professor
After three seasons with Denison and two with the Redskins of Miami of Ohio, Hayes took the head coaching position at OSU in 1951. In his 28 seasons with the Buckeyes, Hayes compiled an overall record of 238-72-10, including 13 Big Ten titles, four national championships, and four appearances in the Rose Bowl.
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/6531/woody11969miwoodyim7.jpg
1969: Michigan 24, OSU 12. In Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler 's first game against Woody Hayes -- under whom he coached for six years in Columbus -- Schembechler led his 8-2 Michigan team to a 24-12 victory over No. 1 (and undefeated) OSU, a team Hayes later called his best ever. The Michigan victory set the stage for the 10-Year War between Schembechler and his mentor.
His 238 wins placed him ninth on the all-time list of top NCAA Division I coaching victories (as of 2007), and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Despite his prodigious coaching ability, Hayes (who died in 1987) is also remembered for his volatile temper and violent outbursts, which sometimes threatened to overshadow his teams’ performance on the field.
"The only meaningful statistic is number of games won."
The most egregious example came on December 29, 1978, during the Buckeyes’ 15-17 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the nationally televised Gator Bowl. With OSU down by two points in the closing seconds of the game, Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman intercepted a pass and was knocked out of bounds on the Buckeyes’ sidelines.
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/2723/woodytopplays21jk8.jpg
As Bauman was getting up, Hayes struck him about the throat, after which he was restrained by several OSU players. On December 30, an embarrassed OSU administration fired Hayes, who would never coach again.
"You don't get hurt running straight ahead...three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. I will pound you and pound you until you quit."
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/3038/woodysitg9.jpg
After his firing, Coach Hayes lived nine more years. He continued to attend OSU games and sat in the bleachers.
"I don't apologize for anything. When I make a mistake, I take the blame and go on from there. I just despise to lose, and that has taken a man of mediocre ability and made a pretty good coach out of him."
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/7679/woodygravern1.jpg
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/7889/insane7zowh7.jpg
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/26/woodygg3.jpg
Thirty years ago today, Ohio State University makes the decision to fire its 65-year-old football coach, Woody Hayes, one day after Hayes punched a player on the opposing team near the end of the Gator Bowl.
Born in Clifton, Ohio, in 1913, Hayes played college football at Denison University before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. He returned to his alma mater as a coach upon his discharge in 1946.
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/1425/woody1257hx4.jpg
Lt. Woody Hayes (center)
"Just remember one thing. I can do your job, but you can't do mine." - to an OSU professor
After three seasons with Denison and two with the Redskins of Miami of Ohio, Hayes took the head coaching position at OSU in 1951. In his 28 seasons with the Buckeyes, Hayes compiled an overall record of 238-72-10, including 13 Big Ten titles, four national championships, and four appearances in the Rose Bowl.
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/6531/woody11969miwoodyim7.jpg
1969: Michigan 24, OSU 12. In Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler 's first game against Woody Hayes -- under whom he coached for six years in Columbus -- Schembechler led his 8-2 Michigan team to a 24-12 victory over No. 1 (and undefeated) OSU, a team Hayes later called his best ever. The Michigan victory set the stage for the 10-Year War between Schembechler and his mentor.
His 238 wins placed him ninth on the all-time list of top NCAA Division I coaching victories (as of 2007), and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Despite his prodigious coaching ability, Hayes (who died in 1987) is also remembered for his volatile temper and violent outbursts, which sometimes threatened to overshadow his teams’ performance on the field.
"The only meaningful statistic is number of games won."
The most egregious example came on December 29, 1978, during the Buckeyes’ 15-17 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the nationally televised Gator Bowl. With OSU down by two points in the closing seconds of the game, Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman intercepted a pass and was knocked out of bounds on the Buckeyes’ sidelines.
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/2723/woodytopplays21jk8.jpg
As Bauman was getting up, Hayes struck him about the throat, after which he was restrained by several OSU players. On December 30, an embarrassed OSU administration fired Hayes, who would never coach again.
"You don't get hurt running straight ahead...three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. I will pound you and pound you until you quit."
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/3038/woodysitg9.jpg
After his firing, Coach Hayes lived nine more years. He continued to attend OSU games and sat in the bleachers.
"I don't apologize for anything. When I make a mistake, I take the blame and go on from there. I just despise to lose, and that has taken a man of mediocre ability and made a pretty good coach out of him."
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/7679/woodygravern1.jpg
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/7889/insane7zowh7.jpg