You could say that Jim Hayes came home to the Hamline men’s basketball program. He played here for four seasons and is ranked fifth in career rebounds and 13th in points. He served as an assistant coach here for a decade afterwards and also worked as an administrative assistant in the athletic department.
Now the circle is complete. The Rochester, Minn. native is starting his sixth season as head men's basketball coach in 2018-19. Hamline's 13-12 record in 2017-18 included wins over St. Thomas (for the second year in a row) and Williams (then ranked No. 5 in the country). It marked the first time in six years HU has had winning back-to-back seasons.
“Jim knows Hamline … and the MIAC … as well as anybody,” said Jason Verdugo, HU athletic director. “His pedigree as a player and as a coach is outstanding.”
That pedigree earned public recognition when, on November 7, 2015, Jim was formally inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame.
In each of his first two seasons at the helm, the Pipers have improved on their final record. The 2014-15 team beat MIAC playoff foes St. John's and Concordia and Northwestern (which made it to the Round of 16 in the NCAA D-III tournament) en route to a 11-win season. In his fourth season, he led HU to a 14-12 overall record complete with wins at St. Thomas (for the first time since 1979) and sweeps of Gustavus Adolphus and St. Olaf. The Pipers made the MIAC playoffs as well.
A two-year captain and all-MIAC player, Hayes led the Pipers to a playoff appearance in 1993-94, his senior season. Two decades later, he is still fifth all-time in school history in rebounds and one of just 13 players who has scored 1,000 points in his career. Upon graduation, he stayed at his alma mater, serving as an assistant for the next ten seasons. HU became a defensive stalwart in that time period. In his final season here, the Pipers finished second in the league without the ball, holding opponents to just 41.5 percent accuracy.
“It is a dream come true to be leading this program,” Hayes said. “I am fortunate to have played for and coached with tremendous mentors that have prepared me for this opportunity. I enjoy continuing to connect with our incredible alumni network and the Hamline campus, while also helping our student-athletes pursue excellence on and off the court.“
Hayes also spent seven seasons at Carleton and was an assistant coach with conference rival St. Thomas before returning to his alma mater.
The Knights made the playoffs every year Hayes was there, finishing third or higher in five of those seasons. The 2005-06 contingent tied for first place, the school’s first men’s hoop title in 41 years. St. Thomas lost just five league games in his two seasons there.
