Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Hayes’ Vision Culminates in Championship Results
1/24/2023 8:33:00 AM | Cross Country
“To turn around a program now, it’s like steering a large battleship or aircraft carrier. 25 years ago, it was more like a speedboat. You could move in a different direction rapidly. For better or worse, it’s just a lot more difficult now.” - John Hayes
If you want to win ACC Coach of the Year, Wake Forest is the place to be.
Claiming these honors over the last 14 months have been Wake Forest basketball coach Steve Forbes, football coach Dave Clawson, women's golf coach Kim Lewellen and field hockey coach Jen Averill.
Wake Forest director of track & field and cross country John Hayes became the latest when he was named ACC Cross Country Coach of the Year in December, adding that accolade to his third-straight Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor.
"It feels great," Hayes said. "It just means my peers in coaching recognize that we did well, but it's an award that goes to the young men. Of course, I get the privilege of hanging it here on the wall, hoping that I'll be here for another 10-plus years, but that's an award to the young men on our team who have done all the work. We just have great young men who believe in the system and believe in what Wake Forest has to offer."
He arrived as the new coach in August of 2016, and has built Wake Forest cross country into a powerhouse in the toughest conference in the country.
"The team was very excited when I first got here until they heard from me what it took to be excellent," Hayes said with a bit of a chuckle. "That was a pretty big shock and some of them didn't like it. We battled through a lot of things."
He doesn't take for granted the vast responsibility of what his role entails in helping develop young student-athletes both on and off the field of play.
"I'm here to develop young people from the age of 18 to be prepared for the real world," Hayes said. "We're giving life skills and a slap on the wrist when they do wrong, with the understanding that every decision they make has a consequence. The kids have to be ready for the real world when they depart here, but I'm also trying to put guys from here on the Olympic team."
"My job is to make memories. I want them to talk about the memories when we were on the podium at the ACC Championships. This is a special place. Our kids have to understand that. We're making amazing memories for these kids to have the rest of their lives."
And plenty of memories were made in 2022, as the Wake Forest men's cross country team produced a dominant ACC Championship performance, and then finished the campaign with an impressive fifth-place finish in the NCAA Championships. Three runners (Zach Facioni, Luke Tewalt and Aaron Las Heras) earned All-American honors.
"It's an exciting time," Hayes said. "I love being here and love the transformation. I love how these young people's hard work is paying off."
The Deacs returned to the National Championships about a year later than Hayes envisioned when he first arrived at Wake Forest, but the results have been nothing short of outstanding.
"We've had our share of obstacles," he said. "It's hard to turn around the culture in a given place in a short period of time. We're a microwave society. We expect results right away. To get young people in our society the way it's built to deal with delayed gratification, because that's what we are in our sport. You don't just complete a few good workouts and become a good distance runner."
A complete program turnaround, Hayes admitted, is probably more challenging now than in years past with the massive amount of change that has taken place in collegiate athletics.
"When I look back at everything we've gone through, and we've gone through a lot, it takes a lot these days to turn around a program," he said. "It's different now than it was 25 years ago. To turn around a program now, it's like steering a large battleship or aircraft carrier. 25 years ago, it was more like a speedboat. You could move in a different direction rapidly. For better or worse, it's just a lot more difficult now."
"To have accomplished this, and watch the young men in this program — none of these guys now were here when we were really bad, but some were around when we just weren't good."
With the level of success the Deacs have generated in recent seasons, coupled with the overall allure of Wake Forest means Hayes expects to continue to attract some of the top long-distance runners from around the globe to compete in the Old Gold & Black.
"We have a great product to see here and it's Wake Forest University," he said. "We have a beautiful campus with unbelievable academics. Even other schools who can tout similar academics largely can't offer the small class sizes that we do."
"We've just got this unique, rare combination that is appealing to people, and then add in that now we're a really good program. We're a destination program. That should continue in the foreseeable future. Why wouldn't you want to come to Wake Forest if you're given that opportunity?"
Claiming these honors over the last 14 months have been Wake Forest basketball coach Steve Forbes, football coach Dave Clawson, women's golf coach Kim Lewellen and field hockey coach Jen Averill.
Wake Forest director of track & field and cross country John Hayes became the latest when he was named ACC Cross Country Coach of the Year in December, adding that accolade to his third-straight Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor.
"It feels great," Hayes said. "It just means my peers in coaching recognize that we did well, but it's an award that goes to the young men. Of course, I get the privilege of hanging it here on the wall, hoping that I'll be here for another 10-plus years, but that's an award to the young men on our team who have done all the work. We just have great young men who believe in the system and believe in what Wake Forest has to offer."
He arrived as the new coach in August of 2016, and has built Wake Forest cross country into a powerhouse in the toughest conference in the country.
"The team was very excited when I first got here until they heard from me what it took to be excellent," Hayes said with a bit of a chuckle. "That was a pretty big shock and some of them didn't like it. We battled through a lot of things."
He doesn't take for granted the vast responsibility of what his role entails in helping develop young student-athletes both on and off the field of play.
"I'm here to develop young people from the age of 18 to be prepared for the real world," Hayes said. "We're giving life skills and a slap on the wrist when they do wrong, with the understanding that every decision they make has a consequence. The kids have to be ready for the real world when they depart here, but I'm also trying to put guys from here on the Olympic team."
"My job is to make memories. I want them to talk about the memories when we were on the podium at the ACC Championships. This is a special place. Our kids have to understand that. We're making amazing memories for these kids to have the rest of their lives."
And plenty of memories were made in 2022, as the Wake Forest men's cross country team produced a dominant ACC Championship performance, and then finished the campaign with an impressive fifth-place finish in the NCAA Championships. Three runners (Zach Facioni, Luke Tewalt and Aaron Las Heras) earned All-American honors.
"It's an exciting time," Hayes said. "I love being here and love the transformation. I love how these young people's hard work is paying off."
The Deacs returned to the National Championships about a year later than Hayes envisioned when he first arrived at Wake Forest, but the results have been nothing short of outstanding.
"We've had our share of obstacles," he said. "It's hard to turn around the culture in a given place in a short period of time. We're a microwave society. We expect results right away. To get young people in our society the way it's built to deal with delayed gratification, because that's what we are in our sport. You don't just complete a few good workouts and become a good distance runner."
A complete program turnaround, Hayes admitted, is probably more challenging now than in years past with the massive amount of change that has taken place in collegiate athletics.
"When I look back at everything we've gone through, and we've gone through a lot, it takes a lot these days to turn around a program," he said. "It's different now than it was 25 years ago. To turn around a program now, it's like steering a large battleship or aircraft carrier. 25 years ago, it was more like a speedboat. You could move in a different direction rapidly. For better or worse, it's just a lot more difficult now."
"To have accomplished this, and watch the young men in this program — none of these guys now were here when we were really bad, but some were around when we just weren't good."
With the level of success the Deacs have generated in recent seasons, coupled with the overall allure of Wake Forest means Hayes expects to continue to attract some of the top long-distance runners from around the globe to compete in the Old Gold & Black.
"We have a great product to see here and it's Wake Forest University," he said. "We have a beautiful campus with unbelievable academics. Even other schools who can tout similar academics largely can't offer the small class sizes that we do."
"We've just got this unique, rare combination that is appealing to people, and then add in that now we're a really good program. We're a destination program. That should continue in the foreseeable future. Why wouldn't you want to come to Wake Forest if you're given that opportunity?"
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