awwwwwww great day ! that jimmie tramel is tougher than a 9 mile detour! stronger than aunt nellies breath!

jimmie, see if you remember this one-
practice does not make perfect. perfect practice makes perfect!

I intentionally didn't show up for the day in class when we had to demonstrate in the gym what we had learned from lectures because I knew that I could only hurt my grade by unleashing my physical prowess in front of the coach. I've got no skills, therefore there has been no decline of skill level and therefore I am still the same pick-up player that I was when I was 20.

Coach Hayes always had a colorful way of getting his point across. My personal lesson was being called a billy goat for driving to the basket with my head down. My teammates would yell billy goat noises at me from down the hall. Other than all the fun traveling, playing, and hanging out with my teammates, the best memories that i have are all the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that his wife Jaene would fix for the team and host at their home. He would always put the 1979 New Mexico State vs. Indiana State game on tv, and agonize over the last 30 seconds. Coach would always offer to the team that if you go to church on Sunday, he would buy lunch. i can't believe how quickly life takes us all in different directions. i miss all of my teammates and the times we spent together. Best wishes to all my fellow Redmen!

The one I remember most from Coach Hayes. That was "a million dollar move and a nickel shot."

AHHHHHHHHH Jimmy, Ken Hayes was tougher than a nine mile detour! The scuttlebutt was that Greg Berry wore too much polyester for Ken to handle which led to his early retirement. Ken was/is a guy who cared more about his players and what they would become in the real world. It truly was the greatest time in my life being able to call myself a redmen and run out to the fightsong and count how many times michael parrish would look in the stands for his girlfriend! Great day in the mornin' fellas I would give anything to go back to those days and actually LISTEN to what he was telling us!!! What a great man! Once a redmen always a redmen!

bittle: coach, when can I get some run?
coach: jaybird, you do so much gawking that I ought to charge you admission to get into games!

coach: What's a matter Danny!!?? Are you scared? You're Scared!!! AWWWWW great day in the morning...give me somebody that's not scared! (Bittle runs to the front) Not you bittle! Give me somebody else who's not scared!

coach: get him out - he's killing us! McDaniel can't even spell defense, how can we expect him to play it!

Wow - way to go coach. Thanks for the mentoring. Can't think of those days without laughing. Peanut says hey!

Coach Hayes on weightlifting, "just look at John Coons when he got here as a freshmen he was the best shooter we had. Now look at him 3 yrs. later he can bench press a truck but cant throw it in the ocean."

Fellas, I dont mean to burst all of our bubbles but we are the very reason Coach Hayes retired. Just look at the names on this page, couldn't any of us play. We drove him completely out of the game. None of us even compare to Grasshopper Smith or Slab Jones. Heck, I didnt even get a nickname, unless turnover machine is one. Love ya, coach!

Coach: AWWWWWWWWW Peanut, go in the corner and play with your rope. Best line ever and it ruined me as a Redshirt Freshman! Here's to never taking off your warm ups!