Small Town News

Busy Hayford completes first two months on job as Eastern coach

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Recruting, fundraising, building campus following keeps him on the move

It's been an up and down eight weeks for new Eastern Washington University head basketball coach Jim Hayford.

And even though he didn't say it, Hayford, who was hired March 29 to try to steer the Eagles' ship in a different direction, would probably agree the highs have certainly seemed to surpass the lows.

Besides being the guy who crafts the Xs and Os, Hayford is also entrusted with raising additional monies for his program. "At this level you need resources," he said. "You don't need to look further than across town (to Gonzaga)," he said, to see what a well-funded program can accomplish.

Hayford is helping orchestrate raising $100, 000 in 100 days. "Fundraising is about relationships," many of which he fostered in his 10-year stint at Whitworth University. "We're up around $40 (thousand) and those are all people who had never given to Eastern basketball before," Hayford said. "We're getting there." One relationship Hayford's most comfortable with is the one between himself and his staff. "I think I have a really good staff,"

Hayford said. Craig Fortier, the associate head coach, came with Hayford from Whitworth. Craig Ehlo is,"one of my really, really good friends and fortunately he's done well enough earlier in life he can afford to work for me," Hayford said. Shantay Legans is the lone holdover from Kirk Earlywine's staff and will help bridge the gap between each.

The unexpected departure of Glen Dean to the University of Utah left

Hayford,"a little disappointed in how it came down."

Dean indicated he'd stay at Eastern not long after Hayford was hired. But Hayford did not know of some ongoing communication between Dean and his Utah suitors. "We weren't aware that these conversations were happening," he said.

But it's time to move on he said, and he has.

"When you look at the core of last year's team there are seven players," Hayford said. "You had four guards. Playing three of them is easier than playing four of them. They are all good players and it's a good problem to have."

Eastern has also signed a pair of junior college players: Colin Chiverton out of San Francisco City College and Australian Jordan Hickert opted for Cheney out of Neosho College in Kansas.

"Colin's very talented, we're glad he chose here and it was the right academic setting for him," Hayford said. While at Whitworth, Hayford drew players from Germany but not Australia.

"The Australians couldn't afford Whitworth," he said.

As he moves forward, however, Hayford expects future Eastern recruiting classes to have both an international flavor and a local look to them.

"We're looking at guys from the West Coast, Europe and Australia," Hayford said. He plans a week-long visit "Down Under" later this summer to beat the brush in the Outback for future needs.

"I'm working hard," Hayford said. "I'm far enough along to know I'm a lot better coach with good players. That's one of the first rules of coach-ing."

While he wants Eastern teams to have area players, now is not the time. "I'd really like to (recruit locally)," Hayford said. "We want to bring in the local talent."

"Each year we hope to gain more ground on that front," Hayford said. But it's not every year that a bumper crop of local Division I talent is ready to harvest.

"The other thing, having been in Spokane for 10 years, is it (the talent) kind of comes in waves," he said.

With at least a handle on fundraising and a good initial stab at finding new players, another part of Hayford's job description is building a new culture for Eastern basketball.

"I see Eastern as having amazing potential. The building is outstanding," Hayford said.

He plans to try to motivate the student body to fill their sections at Reese Court with a combination of more wins and being better campus citizens. "We're going to do everything we can and invite every student out to the games," Hayford said. That means seeing the basketball team at football games, at volleyball matches and other sports. "We're going to be a good fan of the things that are happening (on campus). If you want a fan, be a fan," he said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.

"We're going to do

everything we can and

invite every student

out to the games/'

Eastern head basketball coach ______________Jim Hayford



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© 2011 Cheney Free Press Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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