A Murfreesboro native and University of Tennessee graduate, Joe Black Hayes' career in the mid-state covers three decades. Initially a coach at UT/Martin and Cumberland University, he came to MT as an assistant to Coach Charles "Bubber" Murphy. As Murphy's right-hand man, Hayes was a line coach and a defensive coordinator who played a part in bringing seven OVC championships, four titles in the Volunteer State Athletic Association and a 133-57-7 record to MT. In 1950, he founded MT's first wrestling team, it finished second in the Southeastern Tournament in 1954. In establishing the MT track and field program in 1955, he launched a tradition of winning runners and jumpers that continues today.
