UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Tom Hayes, a former two-time All-American for Penn State and a key figure in the growth of international lacrosse, died on Monday. He was 82 years old.
"We are saddened by the recent news of the passing of Coach Hayes," Penn State head coach Jeff Tambroni said on behalf of the Nittany Lions lacrosse program. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Hayes family, as well as his former Penn State lacrosse teammates. Coach Hayes was an ambassador for the sport of lacrosse and one of the all-time great contributors to our game. He will be missed by the entire lacrosse community."
Hayes was a two-year letterwinner at Penn State, earning USILA All-America honors in 1961 and 1962. He was a standout offensive player at midfielder in those two seasons, totaling 53 goals and 15 assists over 20 games. His eight goals in a game against Rutgers in 1962 ranks as the fourth most by a Penn State player in a single game in program history.
Growing the sport of lacrosse turned out to be a lifetime endeavor for Hayes, whose influence on the game was felt at all levels and in multiple parts of the world. After his playing days were finished, Hayes transitioned to a coaching role. Following two seasons as an assistant on the Penn State staff, he took over as head coach at Drexel for six seasons. He then moved on to Rutgers, where he spent the next 25 years (1975-2000).
Hayes totaled 235 wins during his 31-season collegiate coaching career, including 194 victories at Rutgers. He turned the Scarlet Knights into a consistently successful program, leading the team to 21 winning seasons and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He mentored players to 55 All-America honors while in Piscataway and guided the Scarlet Knights to a final top-20 ranking for 24 consecutive years.
Coaching at the collegiate ranks didn't keep Hayes from helping to promote the sport internationally. He spent 45 years in numerous roles for World Lacrosse, starting as the vice president of the organization from 1974-78 and eventually serving as the president from 1994-2002. Hayes's other roles included secretary-treasurer (1978-82) and a general delegate (1974-1994). Following his retirement from coaching, he served as the development director on the board of directors from 2008-15 and then the Olympic vision director from 2015-19. His efforts were instrumental in helping lacrosse receive provisional status by the International Olympic Committee in 2018 as it works toward a potential appearance at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Hayes's skill and dedication to the sport have earned him spots in numerous hall of fames. Most notably, he was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1989. Additionally, he is in the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1989), Sewanhaka High School Hall of Fame (1996), New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1997), Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame (2017), and the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2017).
Hayes's impact on the sport will continue to be remembered at Penn State through the Tom Hayes Nittany Lion Teammate Award, which has been given to at least one graduating men's lacrosse senior each year since 2013.
