UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
HAYES, HUGHES AXED: Very successful veteran head football coaches Bill Hayes of North Carolina A&T and Robert Hughes of Jackson State were both relieved of their duties last week. Hayes, 59, was fired last Wednesday with one year left on his five-year contract after 15 years at A&T where he had compiled a 106-64 record, winning parts of three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles while becoming the school's all-time winningest coach. The Aggies finished 4-8 this season, only their third losing record during his tenure. The school held a six-minute press conference Tuesday to announce the decision. Hayes, a former all-CIAA center at North Carolina Central, compiled 89 victories in 13 seasons at Winston-Salem State before coming to A&T. Jackson State announced last Tuesday that Hughes' three-year contract would not be renewed. Hughes, 58, a JSU grad who had coached at his alma mater for 28 years, guided the Tigers to three consecutive 7-4 seasons after spending one season as interim coach after replacing William Carson in 1999. In that season, Hughes led the Tigers to the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division title, compiling an overall mark of 9-3 and earning a trip to the SWAC's first annual title game. The Tigers lost that game to West Division champ Southern, 31-30. Hughes leaves with a 30-15 mark in his four years at the helm.
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