Article On Doug Hayes From The London Free Press

Pod Armstrong, Doug Hayes, John Stiefelmeyer, Ross Hurd, Kevin Armstrong

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Basketball coach let players pick starting five

By JIM CRESSMAN, THE LONDON FREE PRESS

Doug Hayes came to the University of Western Ontario as a lecturer in the department of physical education and to coach football.

But despite being part of the Mustangs’ first national championship in 1971 as defensive co-ordinator, Hayes will always be remembered for the 20 years he spent with the university’s basketball program — three years with the women, then the remainder with the men.

Hayes, 68, died Saturday in London after a long period of illness.

“Doug had such a passion for teaching and coaching and working with young people, his legacy will be developing them and influencing them to have good values and do the right things,” said long-time friend and former coaching and teaching colleague Darwin Semotiuk.

The two go back to their days as graduate students at the University of Alberta and playing on the Golden Bears football and basketball teams.

Hayes was a year ahead of Semotiuk and came to Western in 1969. Semotiuk followed two years later to join the football program and — although he never asked his friend — he was certain Hayes had something to do with him getting hired.

Hayes took over the women’s basketball team early in the 1971-72 season and guided them to three straight Ontario championships, during which time they went undefeated.

In his second season, Hayes was so into not being viewed by his players as a dictator, he allowed them to chose the starting five for every game.

Those three championships, incidentally, are the only three in the program’s history.

He took over the men’s team in 1974 and won back-to-back Ontario titles beginning in 1988. He took the Mustangs to four consecutive national finals beginning in 1886.

In April 1996, Hayes received the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Award, presented by the OUA West men’s referees’ panel. A plaque hangs in the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

He gave up coaching in 1990 to devote his time to administration. He was men’s athletic co-ordinator (1988-1997) and acting chairperson, intercollegiate athletics (1995-96).

He retired from the university in July 1997.

“I don’t know if I ever heard anyone say a bad word about Doug in all his years at Western,” Semotiuk said. “He was universally respected as being a great teacher and a great coach.”

Hayes is survived by his wife, Lauretta, and their three children.