Legendary Rams and Aggies Football Coach William "Bill" Hayes Inducted Into Black College Football Hall of Fame

www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org

ATLANTA, Georgia (Feb. 10, 2018) -- Former Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T State University head football coach and director of athletics William "Bill" Hayes was honored for a prestigious career as he was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.  The 2018 class of inductees into the Black College Football Hall of Fame were honored at the Ninth Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Presented by the Atlanta Falcons on February 10, 2018 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Coach Hayes was selected from a list of 25 finalists by the BCFHOF Selection Committee.  

The Class of 2018 included Harold Carmichael (Southern), Raymond Chester (Morgan State), Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson (Langston University), Leo “Lincoln Locomotive” Lewis (Lincoln), Greg Lloyd (Fort Valley State), Everson Walls (Grambling State) as player inductees and Coach Bill Hayes (Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T).

Hayes earned the honor after stellar career coaching the Winston-Salem State Rams football team. He guided the Rams' football program from 1976-1987. During his tenure with the Rams, Hayes led the team to a #1 ranking in Division II after consecutive undefeated regular seasons in 1977 and 1978. He led the team to four Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championships and seven division championships and finished his tenure at WSSU with an 89-40-2 record and left WSSU as the school career leader in wins. 

After Winston-Salem State, Hayes was named the head football coach at North Carolina A&T where he guided the Aggies to three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and two NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances and finished with a 106-64-0 record. During his career, Hayes touched the lives of countless young men, including several who went on to have careers not only in the National Football League (NFL), but also in collegiate coaching, and other professional ventures.

Hayes returned to Winston-Salem State to serve as its Director of Athletics in 2010. During his time as athletics director, Hayes led a resurgence in all sports at Winston-Salem State, including back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) football championships, three appearances in the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs, including an appearance in the 2012 NCAA Division II Football National Championship game. He also led the revival of the Rams baseball program that won three straight CIAA championships during his time at WSSU along with two CIAA softball championships, three CIAA cross country championships (two women, one men), a CIAA men's basketball championship, a CIAA women's indoor track & field championship, and CIAA championships in both men's and women's tennis. He also made a tremendous impact outside the fields of play with great strides made in fundraising, community service, and academic performances.

Inductees into the Black College Feootball Hall of Fame were voted on by the 12-member Selection Committee which is comprised of prominent journalists, commentators, and historians, as well as former NFL general managers and executives, and from previous BCFHOF inductees. They were also recognized on ESPN at the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on December 16th, where North Carolina A&T State University (12-0) won their fourth HBCU National Championship by defeating Grambling State (11-2) 21-14.