| Bill Hayes | |
| Birth Date: | 1 June 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Player Years1: | 1961–1964 |
| Player Team1: | North Carolina Central |
| Coach Years1: | 1973–1975 |
| Coach Team1: | Wake Forest (RB) |
| Coach Years2: | 1976–1987 |
| Coach Team2: | Winston-Salem State |
| Coach Years3: | 1988–2002 |
| Coach Team3: | North Carolina A&T |
| Admin Years1: | 2003–2007 |
| Admin Team1: | North Carolina Central |
| Admin Years2: | 2007–2009 |
| Admin Team2: | Florida A&M |
| Admin Years3: | 2010–2014 |
| Admin Team3: | Winston-Salem State |
| Overall Record: | 195–104–2 |
| Bowl Record: | 0–1 |
| Tournament Record: | 1–2 (NCAA D-II playoffs) 1–2 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs) |
| Championships: | 2 Black college football national (1990, 1999) 3 CIAA (1977–1978, 1987) 3 MEAC (1991–1992, 1999) 5 CIAA Southern Division (1983–1987) |
| Awards: | 2× MEAC Coach of the Year (1991, 1999) North Carolina Central University Athletic Hall of Fame Winston-Salem State University Clarence Athletic Hall of Fame North Carolina A&T State University Sports Hall of Fame CIAA Hall of Fame |
William Hayes (born June 1, 1943) is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He retired as the athletic director at Winston-Salem State University in 2014. Hayes served as the head football coach at Winston-Salem State from 1976 to 1987 and at North Carolina A&T State University from 1988 to 2003, compiling a career college football record of 195–104–2. In 27 seasons as a head coach, Hayes has the distinction of being the winningest coach at both football programs. He is an alumnus of North Carolina Central University.
Hayes started his coaching career as a running backs coach on the coaching staff at Wake Forest University, from 1973 to 1975, making him one of the first African-American coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the Division II level at Winston-Salem State, the Rams under Hayes won three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titles, and made two Division II playoff appearances, in 1978 and 1987. At North Carolina A&T on the Division I-AA level, the Aggies under Hayes won three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles and made two Division I-AA playoff appearances, in 1992 and 1999. The Aggies also appeared in the now defunct post-season HBCU bowl game, the Heritage Bowl in 1991.
Hayes coached a number of players who went to play in the NFL or CFL: Timmy Newsome (running back), Donald Evans (defensive end), and Anthony Blaylock (defensive back) from Winston-Salem State, and Jamain Stephens (offensive lineman), Curtis Deloatch (defensive back), Maurice Hicks (running back), Michael Basnight (running back), Jamal Jones (wide receiver), Junius Coston (offensive line), Qasim Mitchell (offensive lineman) from North Carolina A&T.
Hayes became a university administrator after he ended his coaching career. He served as athletic director at his alma mater, North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, from 2003 to 2007, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida from December 2007 to December 2009, and Winston-Salem State University from 2010 to 2014.