Wando's Hayes gets statewide AD honor
BY PHILIP M. BOWMAN
Of The Post and Courier Staff
MOUNT PLEASANT -- He oversees an athletic program that has 33 teams, 45 coaches and more than 700 student-athletes. Yes, Wando High School athletic director Bob Hayes has a big job.
Hayes, who has been at the school for five years, picked up the biggest award a South Carolina AD can receive when he was named the statewide athletic director of the year by the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association.
"It's a great honor," said Hayes, who was honored at a ceremony at the school Wednesday. "Being an athletic director is the epitome of teamwork, especially at a big high school like this.
"I have a really good team to work with at Wando, and that makes what could be a pretty tough job at times be pretty easy."
Principal Lucy Beckham said Hayes is very bright and very dedicated, adding, "He works so very well with coaches across the state in addition to our coaches. He works well with the students, the faculty and the parents. He has our respect. I'm glad his peers have recognized the skill and talent we see in him."
Hayes spent 13 years at Stratford High School serving as the football team's defensive coordinator and secondary coach for the Knights before taking over as Wando's athletic director and football coach in time for the 2000-01 academic year.
Under Hayes' direction, Wando's athletic teams finished third in last year's Athletic Directors Cup standings with 690 points. Only Summerville (810 points) and Dorman (713) had more successful programs in Class AAAA.
As a football coach, Hayes has turned around a program that struggled. The Warriors were 9-5 last fall and reached the Big 16 Lower State championship game.
"The key to being a football coach and athletic director is being able to manage your time," Hayes said. "Even then, it can keep you busy."
