School’s new football coach is Trinity alum
CLIMAX – David Hayes has been around high school football teams for more than a decade as an assistant coach.
Now it’s something different. He’ll be a head coach.
Providence Grove hired Hayes, who has close ties to a couple of other schools in Randolph County, as its next football coach.
“I feel like I was ready to take an opportunity like this,” Hayes said.
Hayes takes the vacancy left when Calvin Brown departed to become Asheboro’s coach.
Most recently, Hayes has been an assistant coach and physical education teacher at Thomasville, which has one of the state’s most tradition-rich football program.
But Hayes has other ties close to Providence Grove. He’s a Trinity graduate and former assistant football coach and head girls’ basketball coach at Asheboro.
“I’m a football coach,” Hayes said. “PG worked very hard to get me.”
Providence Grove will open the Hayes era Aug. 18 at East Davidson. The home opener will come Sept. 1 against Bishop McGuinness.
Hayes is a former Guilford College offensive lineman and later a student assistant with the Quakers. He spent time on coaching staffs at Trinity, Southwest Guilford and East Gaston, where he was offensive coordinator for five seasons.
Then he joined the Asheboro staff under coach Kevin Gillespie. While there, he coached the girls’ basketball team to a 54-30 record.
After three seasons with the Blue Comets, Hayes followed Gillespie to Thomasville.
The Patriots could be in a regrouping mode considering that 20-plus seniors were on the 2022 roster. Providence Grove won a game in the state playoffs for the first time last season, defeating host McMichael in a Class 2-A game and finishing with an 8-4 record after a second-round loss to Reidsville.
“The measuring stick might be a little different,” Hayes said. “How quick can we get over the learning curve? It will definitely look a little bit different.”
Hayes said he has always been an offensive guy in terms of coaching. He’s looking to stock a coaching staff.
“Mission 1 for us right now is to determine how many (from the most-recent staff) stay and it goes from there,” he said.
Hayes said he has never attended a Providence Grove football game. When he was at Asheboro, the schools didn’t meet in football, but they did have girls’ basketball matchups.
“Coach Hayes is a true leader (who) brings energy, passion and he has a unique ability to form relationships with all students,” new Providence Grove athletics director Cody Moran said.
The coach’s mother, Renee Hayes, guided Trinity to two Class 3-A girls’ basketball state championships in the 1980s. David Hayes lives in Trinity.
Coming from Thomasville, which went 11-2 last season, will mean an adjustment when Hayes formally starts his duties March 2 at Providence Grove.
“Thomasville is one of the few places in the state where the logo instills fear,” Hayes said.
