A Fire to Win: The Life and Times of Woody Hayes [Paperback]

The honest and revealing biography of legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes, a leader whose fierce drive shaped college sports.

Woody Hayes is one of the greatest, and most fascinating, coaches in football history. A former history teacher who preached democracy while ruling his program as an absolute monarch, Hayes was a man of intense contradictions. Behind his fiery public persona lay a deeply altruistic side: he quietly visited local hospitals, donated time and money, and demanded that his players complete their degrees.A Fire to Wingoes beyond standard sports statistics to explore the complex mind and motivations of a legendary leader.

Above all, Hayes achieved staggering success on the field. During his tenure at Ohio State, he captured five national championships, earned thirteen Big Ten titles, made eight Rose Bowl appearances, and won two national Coach of the Year awards. Honed by his World War II service commanding a Navy destroyer escort in the Pacific, his fierce competitive drive propelled him to a lifetime coaching record of 238-72-10securing his place in the first rank of college coaching immortals.

Drawing on extensive interviews with former players, assistant coaches, administrators, and close friends, veteran sports journalist John Lombardo crafts a rich portrait of Hayes and his career spanning the mid-1940s through the late 1970san era of profound change in American society.

John Lombardo, a sportswriter based in Chicago, is the author ofRaiders Forever: Stars of the NFL's Most Colorful Team Recall Their Glory Days.Lombardo lives in Winnetka, Illinois, with his wife and two daughters.

This is a sympathetic yet evenhanded examination of a modern coaching giant. Booklist

An easy-to-read, objective look at one of Ohio's most powerful, complex, admired, feared, and contradictory figures. -TheColumbusDispatch

Insightful and comprehensivl“¼