Bill Hayward (July 2, 1868 – December 14, 1947) left an indelible mark on the University of Oregon, the state of Oregon and the U.S. Olympic Track and Field teams during five decades of coaching.
Born in Detroit, Mich. in 1868, Hayward grew up in Canada and was an all-around athlete in wrestling, boxing, hockey, lacrosse, even running. He took his first coaching job in track and field as an assistant at Princeton and made stops in Oregon at Pacific University and Lewis and Clark before joining the U of O in 1904. The Webfoots made the hire after watching the Boxers win a championship and the Pioneers defeat UO in a dual meet. Eugene turned out be the perfect place for “Colonel Bill”. He stayed for the next 44 years.
At Oregon, Hayward coached nine Olympians and four world record holders beginning with Dan Kelly in the 100-yard dash in 1908.
Hayward was instrumental in helping the school construct a football field in 1919, which was named for him. The field featured a six-lane track in 1921. By then, Hayward had also coached the men’s basketball team for eleven seasons, compiling a record of 34-29.
Hayward was an assistant coach of the USA track and field team for six Summer Olympic Games beginning in 1912. He retired from coaching in 1947, shortly before his passing.
Each year, the Bill Hayward Award is presented to the top men’s and women’s amateur athlete of the year in Oregon.
Hayward was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1980, the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992 and the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame In 2005.