Inductees

Max Hayes’ was born on a farm in Smith County, Kansas.  He attended Smith Center High School where he starred in track, basketball and football.

As a first-generation college student, Hayes left home to attend college at the University of Kansas in 1947.  There, coach Phog Allen (MSHOF 1952) urged him to try out for the football team and gave him a job as a student worker/trainer. Hayes graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and later moved to Goodland, Kansas in 1953 where he taught and coached basketball and football. In 1959, Hayes coached his boys basketball team to their undefeated State Championship. He received the Sam Dubin Award for Outstanding HS Coach in 1959 as the committee also awarded the Outstanding Professional Coach Award to Hank Stram (MSHOF 1996 and 2004). Both Hayes and the team were inducted into the Kansas High School Basketball Hall of Fame.

In 1961, Hayes and his family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, for a position at Center High School, where he taught and coached basketball. In 1964, Max received the Eddie Ryan Award for Coach of the Year. In 1966, he earned a master’s degree in Ed. Admin.

In 1965, Hayes started a Golf program at Center High School. As head coach of the golf teams, they achieved  seven Conference Championships (1969,1970,1974,1975 and 1976) and six State Championship Meets. His teams were pitted against area schools like Pembroke Hill Academy, which included Tommy Watson.

The 1976 basketball team proved to be yet another highlight in Hayes’ career. At the State Championship game, his undefeated Center High School basketball team beat the undefeated St. Louis Central High School. Hayes received many awards including Coach of the Year by the Sportswriters-Sportscasters Association of Missouri. Both Hayes and the ’76 Team were inducted into the MO HS Hall of Fame.

Max retired from coaching boys basketball in 1979. He later coached the girls basketball team from 1982 to 1988.

Hayes was also an avid golfer.

After retiring from 35 years of teaching and coaching in 1988, Max decided to join Reece & Nichols as a residential real estate agent and continued this new career for 20 years.