Richard Hayes
The lanky lad from Douglas High School made the Marshall County All-Tournament basketball team as a junior. He averaged 13 points per game. In 1963, the big 6-foot, 3-inch senior averaged 16 points per game while earning All-County and All-Area tournament teams.
Richard Hayes graduated from Jacksonville State University in 1967. His post-graduate degrees included a master’s and education specialist from Jax State.
In 1967, Hayes started on a long career in teaching, coaching and administration. He was a Douglas teacher and junior high 7th, 8th and 9th grade basketball coach from 1967-1969. During this time the young Eagles won 130 while losing 38.
Hayes was promoted in 1970 to Douglas High School head varsity basketball coach. The fall of 1970 found Hayes and his basketball assistant coach Kenneth Adams helping head football coach George Hoblitzell field the first Douglas football squad. The Eagle basketball teams from 1970-1974 compiled a record of 70-48 highlighted with a third place finish in the 1971 class 2A state tournament.
Led by All-State players Sherwin Wigley and Ted Lacks, the 1971 Eagles were 22-10. They were only the third team in the school’s history to make the state tournament. Bill Yancy of WTWX gave reports back from Tuscaloosa and broadcast the games on the state network.
The years went by with Hayes being the last coach to carry a Douglas team to the state tournament. The coach was quoted as saying, “this is a distinction I’d like for someone to end”. Thirty five years later along comes his oldest grandson, Brandon Brothers, helping lead the 2007 Eagles to the state championship game. Brandon an All-Tournament selection felt the agony of defeat by a three point margin to Madison County.
At the end of his head coaching career in 1974, Hayes had accumulated 200 victories and 86 losses. He spent the next 29 years in administration which ended in 2002. Hayes had served as principal of the following schools: Claysville Jr. High, West End Elementary of Albertville and DAR Middle School. From 1985-1995 he was an assistant superintendent of Marshall County Schools.
Hayes has three daughters Kelli, Misti and Richi who were all Douglas cheerleaders. Misti was Most Valuable Player for two years in county and area volleyball. She later played for Gadsden State on a full scholarship. Misti is married to Albertville basketball coach Patrick Harding. Richi, the youngest daughter, received a cheerleading scholarship to Snead, and after one year transferred to the University of Alabama for three years of cheerleading on full scholarship. Daughter Kelli is the mother of his oldest grandson, All-County basketball star Brandon Brothers. Richard has a stepdaughter Sabrina. He and his wife, Margaret, have 7 grandchildren.
Today, Hayes is an instructor of adult education at Northeast Community College. Basketball season finds him cheering for his favorite teams - Douglas and Albertville. Grandson Brandon plays for Douglas, while son-in-law Patrick is head coach of the Albertville varsity. The Eagles beat the Aggies in the 2007 Marshall County Championship game. The family feud took three overtimes.