25 biggest villains in college football history
By Brad Weiss
Woody Hayes
Head Coach, Ohio State
Woody Hayes spent 28 years on the sidelines for the Ohio State Buckeyes, cementing his legacy as arguably the best football coach in college football history. Racking up an incredible .759 winning percentage at the helm of the program, Hayes would see his career end in disgrace, as he was fired from the school for an ugly on-the-field incident against Clemson. Still, what he meant to the game of football will never be forgotten, though for people outside of the Ohio State program, he was certainly a villain.
Those who played for Hayes would tell a different story, as while he was a hard man to play for, he did have a heart of gold. He was wonderful to his kids, helping them leave the University as a man, after entering as a teenager. However, once the game began, he was as fiery as they come to the opposition, and referees took their fair share of punishment from him as well.
A winner of five national titles, Hayes was not without his faults, which included some instances of him breaking a yard marker or two. He was famous for stomping the ground on the sidelines, and in 1959, he actually tried to punch a Los Angeles Examiner reporter. He connected on a punch 19 years later, and it would be the moment that ended his college coaching career at Ohio State.
In a heated game against Clemson, Hayes punched Charlie Bauman, after the Buckeyes lost to the Tigers in the 1978 Gator Bowl. Ken Fritz, one of Ohio State’s own players, was also struck by Hayes as he tried to intervene in the situation. The punch led to Hayes being fired the next day, which was a terrible end for a coach who won 13 Big Ten Coach of the Year honors during his time as the best coach in college football.