Coach Robert G. Hayes, Sr.

Bob Hayes, 82, of Lake Charles died Wednesday July 20, 2016 at a local hospice with his family at his side following an extended illness.

He was United States Army veteran and native of Kansas. Bob was a graduate of Louisiana Tech, which he had attended on a track scholarship, where he was a miler and became that school’s mile run record holder. Hayes took over as track coach at Lake Charles High after his graduation from Tech and then signed on at McNeese State.

Bob served as athletic director and track and field coach at McNeese State during a 29 year career. He received numerous honors during his career at McNeese where he became the first fulltime track and field coach in 1967. In 1987 he was named athletic director and held that position until his retirement in 1996.

At McNeese he was also the cross country coach and he started up the women’s track programs, cross country in 1985 and track and field in 1986.

During his track coaching career at McNeese, Hayes brought the university’s teams to the forefront in conference and national competition. He led the Cowboy cross country team to four league titles and he had four runner-up finishes in outdoor track and one in indoor track. He was named the Southland Conference coach of the year in 1974.

Among the athletes Hayes coached on the field at McNeese were all-Americans Brian Cooper, Stephen Starring and Edward Lloyd. Cooper and Starring, along with Olympian Fanahan McSweeney, Pat O’Callaghan, Dicky Morgan, David Kohrs and Verril Young are in the McNeese Hall of Fame.

His athletes won 56 individual conference championships (track and cross country) and five conference athlete of the year awards.

During his time as athletic director, McNeese State saw such upgrades as the renovation of Cowboy Track and the addition of lights to Cowboy Diamond. Also during that time he brought in such standout coaches as Tony Robichaux in baseball, Scott Eastman in softball, Ron Everhart in basketball and Bobby Keasler in football.

Hayes was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 2000, was presented a lifetime achievement award by the Louisiana Track and Field Coaches Association in 2005 and was named to the Southland Conference Hall of Honor in 2007. He also served on the games committee at the prestigious Texas Relays for over 40 years.

Bob was preceded in death by his infant granddaughter, Kyla Marie Putfark. He is survived by wife Nell Perryman Hayes, Lake Charles; daughter and son-in-law Camille and Jeff Putfark and granddaughters Shelby and Savannah Putfark; all of Metairie, son and daughter-in-law Robert and Emily Hayes of Boise, Idaho; sisters Shirley Ayers, Elbieng, Kansas and Elaine Pratt, Wichita, Kansas and a brother, Donnie Hayes, Phoenix, Arizona, and brothers-in-law Mac Perryman of Calhoun and Velle Perryman of Dubberly.

Visitation will be on Friday July 22, 2016 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Johnson Funeral Home, and on Saturday from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM at University United Methodist Church. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM, at the church with the Rev. Katie Simpson officiating. Graveside services will be at 2:00 PM Sunday July 24 at Brushwood Cemetery in Dubberly, LA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations may be made to University United Methodist Church, 3501 Patrick St., Lake Charles, LA 70605.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude for the compassionate and kind care shown to them and their beloved husband and father by Harbor hospice of Lake Charles.