New coach??????????

[nwhoops44]

As I mentioned three days past and it was not speculation, the three people it was coming down too,

JIM HAYFORD, NEW COACH AND HE WILL BE OUTSTANDING

 

[spokane20]

Just heard they hired the Whitworth coach. Terrible.wtf is the AD thinking? Players don't like the guy, and I have heard that a lot of people don't like him. I dont' understand this hire at all.

 

[kalm]

Just heard they hired the Whitworth coach. Terrible.wtf is the AD thinking? Players don't like the guy, and I have heard that a lot of people don't like him. I dont' understand this hire at all.

And yet:

In his 10 years at Whitworth, Hayford won almost 80 percent (217-57) of his games and led the Pirates to eight 20-win seasons and six NCAA tournaments, including the last five. The Bucs’ best postseason run came this year when they advanced to the Elite Eight, or Sectional Final of the D-III national tournament...

During his stay at Whitworth, Hayford led the Pirates to six Northwest Conference titles – including the last five in a row – and captured five conference coach-of-the-year awards. In addition, he coached six NWC players of the year, including this year’s top scorer, senior guard Michael Taylor, who was also named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year by both D3hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/mar/28/hayford-will-take-eastern-coaching-job/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Evidently his players and the people at Whitworth liked him enough to keep him around all this time and have a ton of success.

 

[irishsluggers]

Spokane20, I'm not sure where you get your information about Coach Hayford but you are very wrong. I have been a follower of Whitworth basketball for over 20 years and have had person contact with many players and Coach Hayford himself and have never gotten the impression that he was disliked. Have you ever met a very successfull coach that didn't have and conflicts with players before. I think that after a few you will see that Eastern Washington is lucky to have a guy like Jim Hayford as their coach.