Woody Hayes - Legacy

Legacy

Hayes's lifetime record of 238–72–10 places him ninth in all-time NCAA Division I FBS coaching victories. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

At Hayes's funeral on March 17, 1987, former president Richard Nixon delivered the eulogy before a crowd of 1,400, acknowledging the friendship that had begun between the two during his second term as vice president. Having met Hayes at a reception following a Buckeye win over Iowa in 1957, Nixon recalled, "I wanted to talk about football and Woody wanted to talk about foreign policy. And you know Woody, we talked about foreign policy." The following day, more than 15,000 people took part in a memorial service at Ohio Stadium.

Hayes's commitment to academics at Ohio State was evidenced by his request that donations from his family, friends, and supporters be made to the academic side of the university. Following his death and in keeping with his wishes, the Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies was established at Ohio State's Mershon Center for International Security Studies. Professor John Mueller currently holds the chair. In November 1987, the university dedicated the new Woody Hayes Athletic Center in his memory.