South Fayette product named XFL head coach
Former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end and South Fayette High School standout Jonathan Hayes has been named head coach of the St. Louis franchise in the XFL, the startup football league founded by World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vincent McMahon.
Hayes joins Kevin Gilbride (New York), Pep Hamilton (Washington, D.C.), Bob Stoops (Dallas), Marc Trestman (Tampa Bay) and Jim Zorn (Seattle) as the coaches named to date. The XFL will begin play next spring.
“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be the head coach and general manager of the XFL’s team in St. Louis,” Hayes said in a statement. “I spent most of my NFL playing career in Missouri, and also played college ball in the Midwest, so I know firsthand that you won’t find better football fans anywhere. We’re going to work hard and put together a team that’s fun and exciting to watch, and that the fans of St. Louis can rally around and support.”
The XFL rallied around the 56-year-old South Fayette native because he has an abundance of experience both as a coach and a player.
In 2003, he was named Cincinnati Bengals’ tight ends coach and worked alongside head coach Marvin Lewis through the conclusion of the 2018 season. Before coaching in the NFL, Hayes served as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at the University of Oklahoma for four seasons (1999-02). The Sooners’ 2000 team went 13-0 and won the national championship.
As an NFL player, Hayes was Kansas City’s second-round draft pick in 1985 out of the University of Iowa. He spent nine seasons with the Chiefs before finishing his career with the Steelers (1994-96). Hayes played in 184 NFL games with 153 career receptions for 1718 yards and 13 TDs. He played in three AFC Championship games. Hayes started in 19 regular-season games in three seasons in Pittsburgh while helping the Steelers win 33 games over that span. Hayes was a member of Pittsburgh’s 1995 AFC championship squad that played the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX. Hayes retired following the 1996 season.
After graduating from South Fayette, Hayes attended the University of Iowa. He played tight end and linebacker for the Hawkeyes from 1981-84. A team captain, he earned first-team All-America honors as a senior. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in general studies from Iowa.
The XFL’s inaugural season will begin in February 2020 with eight teams, located in Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Seattle, Washington D.C., Tampa Bay, and St. Louis. Teams will play a 10-game schedule. There will also be a four-team playoff. St. Louis will play its home games at The Dome at America’s Center.