EWU hires Whitworth's Hayford as hoops coach

After spending 10 seasons building Whitworth University of Spokane into a NCAA Division III powerhouse, Jim Hayford has been selected as the next head men's basketball coach at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, EWU athletic director Bill Chaves announced Tuesday.

Hayford becomes Eastern's 17th head coach in history and ninth at the NCAA Division I level (since 1983-84).

In his tenure at the helm of the Pirates, Hayford had a record of 217-57 and a winning percentage of .792. He coached the Pirates to eight 20-win seasons, six appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament (including the last five seasons in a row), five Northwest Conference titles, three NCAA DIII Sweet 16 appearances (2008, 2010, 2011) and one Elite Eight appearance (2011).

"We are hiring the right person at the right time for Eastern basketball," Chaves said. "Coach Hayford has had tremendous success on the court as his record attests. He has also had tremendous success with the academics and leadership of student-athletes. And his ability to get into the community is outstanding. We could not be more excited in bringing Jim and his family into the EWU family."

"My 10 years at Whitworth were great and I'll celebrate them and hold onto them," Hayford said. "But that was yesterday and now we're moving forward. Coaching is coaching. There are some things we are going to be able to do as a coaching staff that have been successful for me as a head coach in the past that I think will translate to the Division I level. But it's a new challenge and you build on principles that have given you success. You keep learning and growing, and you keep getting better every single day. I'm humbly ready for the opportunity. I think the future for Eastern Washington University basketball is bright."

Hayford, 43, earned five NWC Coach of the Year awards and was honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as the West Region Coach of the Year in both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. In Hayford's final two years at Whitworth, the Pirates were 54-5 overall and 31-1 in league play. Whitworth was ranked 21-consecutive times in the D3hoops.com NCAA Division III rankings over Hayford's final three seasons at Whitworth.

During his 10 seasons leading the Pirates, Hayford coached six Northwest Conference Players of the Year - Bryan Depew (2003), Lance Pecht (2006), Bryan Williams (2007), Ryan Symes (2008), Nate Montgomery (2010) and Michael Taylor (2011). During the same period, 25 Whitworth players earned All-NWC honors, including 18 first-team selections.

Hayford said all five positions on the court were represented by those players of the year. He said that illustrates his program's ability to adjust and adapt, which will be paramount considering the Eagles had no seniors on its 2010-11 roster.

"We've been able to run a system that features the different strengths of great individual players every year at every position," Hayford explained. "I think I'm adjustable and adaptable to utilize the strengths of our team, and that's why I'm looking forward to seeing the strengths of the players that return. We'll determine what new talent we need to complement them, and then put together a solid core that can help give our program a winning record."

"I think the task at hand requires me to learn more about the current players than them learning about me," he added. "My goal is to quickly get this team to a winning Big Sky Season and post-season success."

Including his two seasons at Sioux Falls (1999-2001), Hayford's win-loss record is 254-84 (.751) in 12 seasons as a head coach. His career winning percentage ranks among the top 10 among all active NCAA Division III coaches.

"It's a dream come true to lead and coach a NCAA Division I program," Hayford added. "I feel like I'm joining a winner when you look at what the Eastern athletic department has been able to accomplish, including the national championship in football. The future is great here in Cheney and I'm so proud to be an Eagle. We are looking forward to taking the Eastern basketball program to a new level of success."