Woody Hayes and 5 national championships

[BamaDMD]

This morning, ESPN had an old video clip of "the punch" that ended a long career for Coach Woody Hayes of tOSU Buckeyes.
If you don't happen to remember, the score was 17-15 with Clemson leading OSU with two min left in the Gator bowl game. OSU is driving down the field and was in field goal range when a throw was intercepted by a Clemson lineman and the lineman goes out of bounds near Hayes upon which the angry coach punches him in the throat. The rest is history as coach Hayes was fired that night by the athletic director.

This lead me to think about his run as coach and his five national championships. The last one was in 1970. He had an 8 year drought coming into this game. Do you think if he hadn't gotten fired, would he/ could he have pulled off another before he retired.

 

[CullmanTide]

No. He was done as faras national titles were concerned.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

No. He was done as faras national titles were concerned.

I tend to agree...

 

[81usaf92]

I think Woody was going to face what faced all Bryant era coaches going into the 80’s. Health and the State of Florida. So it’s very unlikely that Woody would’ve had another championship.

 

[BamaDMD]

I think Woody was going to face what faced all Bryant era coaches going into the 80’s. Health and the State of Florida. So it’s very unlikely that Woody would’ve had another championship.

Was he in bad health at that time? I think he was 65 when he was fired? That's younger than Saban.

 

[Tidewater]

Was he in bad health at that time? I think he was 65 when he was fired? That's younger than Saban.

True, but I tell you, the effect of taking care of yourself (or not) is evident when you compare men of the same age from 1975 and today.
I think Coach Saban takes much better care of himself than Coach Bryant or Coach Hayes did. Different era, different levels of knowledge in medicine, etc.

 

[bamacon]

True, but I tell you, the effect of taking care of yourself (or not) is evident when you compare men of the same age from 1975 and today.
I think Coach Saban takes much better care of himself than Coach Bryant or Coach Hayes did. Different era, different levels of knowledge in medicine, etc.

Coach Bryant was 69 when he died. CNS is 69 now! Bryant looks like he was 89 and CNS looks like he’s in his 50s to me. Drinking and diet and smoking puts a lot of miles on an average person and when you add in the stress that a HC in the SEC faces....

 

[81usaf92]

Was he in bad health at that time? I think he was 65 when he was fired? That's younger than Saban.

He died in 1987 and was a diabetic

 

[BamaDMD]

True, but I tell you, the effect of taking care of yourself (or not) is evident when you compare men of the same age from 1975 and today.
I think Coach Saban takes much better care of himself than Coach Bryant or Coach Hayes did. Different era, different levels of knowledge in medicine, etc.

I agree. But Bryant was tired and done with his health. Hayes lived on for 9 more years. Is it that he became complacent with how he coached? I literally don't know. I was just a kid during the 70's and only followed Alabama football. I know that Saban is still very innovative or at least proactive it seems. Will he lose this? It seems natural for most people to become "set in their ways". Another good example is Bowden. He won 2 championships in the 90s and was always in the "mix". Then the last 8 years of his coaching was less impressive it seems.

One thing that fascinates me when comparing coaches like these with Saban. Both coaches had so much at their disposal (Hayes and Bowden). They had the name, they had the school recognition, they had built a machine that should almost run on it's on in regards to recruiting and experience. But in both cases, they fizzled out. Saban in unique in that he is still reinventing himself. I thought it was over when the new rules came into place and offenses had the upper hand. Saban is a different kind of person altogether. The only person that I can compare him to is Steve Jobs who kept reinventing his profession until he died.
I hope Saban continues to stay healthy, because I want to see him get 7 (maybe this year), but more importantly, I want to see how far he take things with regards of changing with the ebbs and flows. He has the potential to not only be the Greatest coach of all time, he has the potential to be one of the great men that defies the "normal".

 

[GrayTide]

It is obvious that CNS is physically and mentally younger than most people his age or younger. I believe, my opinion, that he will coach three more years and hang it up while he is on top. I also think that his wife has a lot of influence on him and, she will be able to tell when he needs to step down.

 

[Tenntiderman]

This morning, ESPN had an old video clip of "the punch" that ended a long career for Coach Woody Hayes of tOSU Buckeyes.
If you don't happen to remember, the score was 17-15 with Clemson leading OSU with two min left in the Gator bowl game. OSU is driving down the field and was in field goal range when a throw was intercepted by a Clemson lineman and the lineman goes out of bounds near Hayes upon which the angry coach punches him in the throat. The rest is history as coach Hayes was fired that night by the athletic director.

This lead me to think about his run as coach and his five national championships. The last one was in 1970. He had an 8 year drought coming into this game. Do you think if he hadn't gotten fired, would he/ could he have pulled off another before he retired.

Yep...watched the game. Very possible he could have won another. He was a huge talent draw in his day. I know he had a very good staff..but I thought he was a half bubble off plumb at times.

 

[Tenntiderman]

It is obvious that CNS is physically and mentally younger than most people his age or younger. I believe, my opinion, that he will coach three more years and hang it up while he is on top. I also think that his wife has a lot of influence on him and, she will be able to tell when he needs to step down.

3 more years? Dreading the transition..but George Harrison was right...All things must pass But it AINT over yet Baby!!!

 

[B1GTide]

Ohio State was still a dominant force in college football when he did that. He didn't pass for another 10 years. I think that it is certainly possible that he would have won another championship if he had not lost his mind.

 

[81usaf92]

Ohio State was still a dominant force in college football when he did that. He didn't pass for another 10 years. I think that it is certainly possible that he would have won another championship if he had not lost his mind.

I’ve heard staffers and broadcasters say that they were surprised that the punch in the Gator Bowl got him because he did far worse in the previous 5-6 years.

 

[B1GTide]

I’ve heard staffers and broadcasters say that they were surprised that the punch in the Gator Bowl got him because he did far worse in the previous 5-6 years.

Back then stuff like that was kept quiet. In recent years a lot of stories about his behavior have come out. If even half are true, he should never have been trusted to coach young men. But he was a winner, so almost anything could be forgiven.

 

[Crimson1967]

The year after he was fired, Ohio State went 11-0 under Earle Bruce and were #1 in the AP poll before losing by one point to USC in the Rose Bowl.

 

[B1GTide]

The year after he was fired, Ohio State went 11-0 under Earle Bruce and were #1 in the AP poll before losing by one point to USC in the Rose Bowl.

Bruce was a gem of a human being - Ohio State's most beloved head coach.

 

[Moro Creek]

It was such a sissy punch, I'm shocked he got fired.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I have heard that years after Hayes tried to say he was trying to knock the ball out. I have watched the video and no he wasn't.

 

[B1GTide]

I have heard that years after Hayes tried to say he was trying to knock the ball out. I have watched the video and no he wasn't.

LOL - not sure how he could say that with a straight face. The ball was being held waist high and Woody hit him up in the chest/neck area. Woody never even looked for the ball - he probably would have punched him in the face if he hadn't been wearing a helmet.

FWIW, Woody spent the rest of his life trying to make up for that. He supported so many charities and visited children in hospitals until he passed some 10+ years later.