Middle Tennessee State University Women's Track

Hayes and a legacy of championship performances. A renowned track & field coach both in college and professional circles, Hayes has gained great respect since coming to Middle Tennessee 49 years ago.   His men's teams dominated the Ohio Valley Conference, and the women's teams duplicated that success after Hayes took over the program in 1987. Both squads have continued their success in the Sun Belt Conference, capturing 18 of the 50 indoor and outdoor titles for which they have been eligible since joining the league 13 years ago.   Overall, Hayes has guided the programs to 29 OVC titles, 18 Sun Belt championships, and 18 NCAA Top 25 finishes. 48 of his student-athletes have earned a total of 85 All-America honors, four have become national champions and a number of them have gone on to compete internationally in the Olympic Games, World University Games and Pan-American Games.   Hayes has added 15 Sun Belt Coach of the Year awards to complement his 15 OVC Coach of the Year honors, which includes 10 in a row from 1977 to 1986. He was inducted into the Blue Raider Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. In addition, Hayes became a member of the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and he was inducted into the Mason-Dixon Athletic Club Hall of Fame in March 2005.   Following the 1981 season, the Division I Track & Field Coaches Association voted Hayes the NCAA Outdoor Coach of the Year. Hayes then served as president of the TFCA in 1982-83.   After joining the Sun Belt full-time prior to the beginning of the 2000-01 academic year, Hayes and his staff were instrumental in helping Middle Tennessee capture the school's first Vic Bubas Cup - the league's all-sports trophy - in 2001, when the track programs won three SBC titles. The teams also played significant roles in Middle Tennessee winning the trophy in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, as well.   Hayes' experience is not just limited to the collegiate level. He has also coached several teams sponsored by either the United States Olympic Committee or USA Track & Field. His international experience began at the first Olympic Sports Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1978. Since then, he has worked with a number of events, including the following: World University Games in Kobe, Japan (1985); Goodwill Games in Seattle (1990); World Cup in London (1994); World Championships in Athens, Greece (1997); Goodwill Games in New York (1998).   The Naperville, Ill., native also has served as an assistant at several international events. Aside from the first Olympic Sports Festival, Hayes worked as an assistant at the World University Games in Bucharest, Romania (1981); the World Championships in Helsinki (1983) and the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea (1988). He also acted as a referee at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.   Because of Hayes' international success, numerous international athletes have sought out Middle Tennessee as their college of choice.   Hayes' most successful student-athletes at Middle Tennessee have competed in the NCAA triple jump, an event in which Hayes specializes.   He coached NCAA champions Tommy Haynes (1974) and Barry McClure (1972, '73), as well as NCAA high hurdle champion Dionne Rose (1994). His most recent national champion is Mardy Scales, who won the 100-meter dash in 2003. Hayes also guided Roland McGhee to nine All-America honors, and both McClure and Greg Artis won All-America honors seven times.   Hayes earned his B.A. at Lake Forest (Ill.), where he competed in the 800-meters, the long jump and the triple jump, the latter an event in which he was an NCAA qualifier.   After earning his M.S. Ed. at Northern Illinois, Hayes began his coaching career at the high school level in Chicago where he coached for three years followed by spending one year in Minneapolis. He then jumped to the collegiate ranks at his alma mater, Lake Forest, before coming to Middle Tennessee in 1965.

Vroman enters his 11th season at Middle Tennessee and his seventh as a full-time assistant for the Blue Raiders. Vroman is currently in his 12th year of coaching and brings with him the experience of two distance running programs steeped in tradition - Eastern Kentucky and Grand Valley State.   Vroman's experience in distance running has helped the Blue Raider cross country teams make great strides in recent years as the mens team captured the 2009 Sun Belt Championship and the women collected back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010. He has also led the track teams to strong showings in the distance events during indoor and outdoor track season. 10 men and six women have earned All-Sun Belt honors under Vroman's tutelage, including at least one male in each of the last six years.   Vroman was hired full-time during the summer of 2007 and helps in all areas of the program, including recruiting and meet management.   The Ludington, Mich., native earned his bachelor's in physical education, his master's in health education and an M.S. in sports administration at Eastern Kentucky, where he competed in cross country and the steeplechase.

Bonner, a product of Franklin County High School in Winchester, Tenn., was one of the first two African-Americans that Coach Bubber Murphy signed to football scholarships in 1969. Bonner started at cornerback for four years, and was part of Middle Tennessees memorable Mod Squad defensive backfield that gave opponents fits around the Ohio Valley Conference. In his junior season, Bonner was given the added duty of returning punts full-time. In 1971, Bonner returned 31 punts for 219 yards and two touchdowns. His 7.1 yds/return average ranked third in the nation, and his pair of TD returns is the school record for both a single season and a career. Because of his blazing speed and athletic ability, Bonner was never beaten deep on a pass play during his career. He was named All-OVC in 1972 and an Outstanding College Athlete of America in 1973. His 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash, and his ability to return punts got Bonner drafted in the 10th round of the 1973 draft by the Detroit Lions, but a suspected heart murmur ended his football-playing career. Following his playing career, Bonner enlisted in the United States Navy, serving from 1973-1976 and was honorable discharged as a Supply Petty Officer. Bonner then received his first head coaching job as Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia, where he was the head football, track and basketball coach. After serving in that role for seven years, Bonner became the Assistant head football coach and head track coach along with his Athletic Director duties at Southwest DeKalb High School until 1989. From 1989-91, Bonner got his first taste as a NCAA DI coach, serving as Alabama A&Ms Assistant Head Football Coach. In the next two years, Bonner served first as the interim head football coach and then the head coach in 1992-93. After his time at Alabama A&M, Bonner left for an instructor position at Texas Southern. During his six years in Houston, Bonner was the head track & field coach for the 95-96 season and the assistant head football coach from 1994-00.   Moving closer to home in 2000, Bonner was the assistant head coach for TSU until 2003. In 2003, Bonner left to became a teacher, head football and head track coach at Cedar Grove HS in Ellenwood, Georgia. He served in that capacity until 2013, when he was then hired by Dean Hayes as an assistant coach.

Hayes and a legacy of championship performances. A renowned track & field coach both in college and professional circles, Hayes has gained great respect since coming to Middle Tennessee 49 years ago.   His men's teams dominated the Ohio Valley Conference, and the women's teams duplicated that success after Hayes took over the program in 1987. Both squads have continued their success in the Sun Belt Conference, capturing 18 of the 50 indoor and outdoor titles for which they have been eligible since joining the league 13 years ago.   Overall, Hayes has guided the programs to 29 OVC titles, 18 Sun Belt championships, and 18 NCAA Top 25 finishes. 48 of his student-athletes have earned a total of 85 All-America honors, four have become national champions and a number of them have gone on to compete internationally in the Olympic Games, World University Games and Pan-American Games.   Hayes has added 15 Sun Belt Coach of the Year awards to complement his 15 OVC Coach of the Year honors, which includes 10 in a row from 1977 to 1986. He was inducted into the Blue Raider Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. In addition, Hayes became a member of the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and he was inducted into the Mason-Dixon Athletic Club Hall of Fame in March 2005.   Following the 1981 season, the Division I Track & Field Coaches Association voted Hayes the NCAA Outdoor Coach of the Year. Hayes then served as president of the TFCA in 1982-83.   After joining the Sun Belt full-time prior to the beginning of the 2000-01 academic year, Hayes and his staff were instrumental in helping Middle Tennessee capture the school's first Vic Bubas Cup - the league's all-sports trophy - in 2001, when the track programs won three SBC titles. The teams also played significant roles in Middle Tennessee winning the trophy in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, as well.   Hayes' experience is not just limited to the collegiate level. He has also coached several teams sponsored by either the United States Olympic Committee or USA Track & Field. His international experience began at the first Olympic Sports Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1978. Since then, he has worked with a number of events, including the following: World University Games in Kobe, Japan (1985); Goodwill Games in Seattle (1990); World Cup in London (1994); World Championships in Athens, Greece (1997); Goodwill Games in New York (1998).   The Naperville, Ill., native also has served as an assistant at several international events. Aside from the first Olympic Sports Festival, Hayes worked as an assistant at the World University Games in Bucharest, Romania (1981); the World Championships in Helsinki (1983) and the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea (1988). He also acted as a referee at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.   Because of Hayes' international success, numerous international athletes have sought out Middle Tennessee as their college of choice.   Hayes' most successful student-athletes at Middle Tennessee have competed in the NCAA triple jump, an event in which Hayes specializes.   He coached NCAA champions Tommy Haynes (1974) and Barry McClure (1972, '73), as well as NCAA high hurdle champion Dionne Rose (1994). His most recent national champion is Mardy Scales, who won the 100-meter dash in 2003. Hayes also guided Roland McGhee to nine All-America honors, and both McClure and Greg Artis won All-America honors seven times.   Hayes earned his B.A. at Lake Forest (Ill.), where he competed in the 800-meters, the long jump and the triple jump, the latter an event in which he was an NCAA qualifier.   After earning his M.S. Ed. at Northern Illinois, Hayes began his coaching career at the high school level in Chicago where he coached for three years followed by spending one year in Minneapolis. He then jumped to the collegiate ranks at his alma mater, Lake Forest, before coming to Middle Tennessee in 1965.