For the past 22 years, the cross country and track and field teams have been overseen by Lamont Hayes, “Coach Hayes” to his athletes. Not only does Hayes lead some of Myers Park’s largest athletic teams, but his commitment is year-round, with workouts for the cross country runners at the Greenway during the summer, coaching over 140 athletes in the fall, and both track seasons in the winter and spring. In addition, he is at every home football and basketball game to support the teams and manage the scoreboards.
Hayes is married and a father to two daughters, his oldest graduated from Myers Park and was a sprinter on the track and field team and his youngest is a rising freshman who does shotput and discus for the Randolph Middle School team.
Hayes began his career at Myers Park in 2001 but has been running since 1987. He ran in college at Austin Peay, a Division I school in Clarksville, Tennessee, Hayes’ home state. Anna Gelbach Longwell, now known as “Coach Anna” to the runners, was coached by Hayes when she was a student at Myers Park and has since returned to Myers Park after graduating from The University of North Carolina Asheville in 2016 to join the coaching staff alongside Hayes. Coach Anna was a conference champion sprinter, her main event being the 400m, setting school records, and placing high in regional and state meets.
Unlike many other athletic coaches at Myers Park, Hayes is neither a teacher nor part of the school’s administration. Hayes runs his own landscape company, as you’ll spot his landscape trailer on the back of “Gus”, the white Chevy named by his daughters, parked by the track after school.
Over the two decades that Hayes has been leading the running programs here, he has watched the teams’ success grow and the athletes thrive. Myers Park holds county, regional, and state records across the board for each season, with multiple runners making it to national championships each year.
One thing that distinguishes Myers Park from other schools is its level of involvement from the local community. Hayes is a shining example of someone who supports the school in several roles. His contribution to the school goes beyond coaching, as you’ll spot him keeping score in the booth at football, courtside at basketball games, or occasionally whipping out the mower to keep the stadium in its best shape.
People’s first impressions of Hayes might be that he is intimidating and tough, but his runners learn that he is very supportive and loves to joke around with everyone. He cares deeply for the teams and wants to watch every athlete succeed, no matter your pace or talent. When asked one thing that the student body and his runners would be surprised to learn about him, he shared that he has 5 tattoos!
Katie Zarzour, a graduating senior who has run year-round all four years and knows Hayes well, says, “Coach Hayes is the best because he makes you feel loved when you least expect it. Although he doesn’t show it very much, he loves all the girls so much and texted me almost every day during my concussion. His care, not only for us as runners but as people, is what makes him so special and what I will miss so much next year.”
“I enjoy watching young kids achieve their goals,” Hayes said, which he has been doing a lot recently, as the 2023 spring track season came to another successful close in early May after lots of triumphs at this year’s regular season and conference meets. He is an icon in the Myers Park community, and it is no secret that his runners adore him. He has led his teams to numerous accomplishments over his many years as a coach and will continue to do so as long as he is a part of the coaching staff.