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Judge Steve Hayes, Son Legendary Ohio State Head Coach Woody Hayes, Passes Away

Hayes graduated from Ohio State and served as a Franklin County Municipal Court Judge for 25 years.

Ohio State announced on Saturday that Steve Hayes, the only child of legendary head coach Woody Hayes, has passed away. He was 76 years old.

While Hayes’ father was leading the Buckeyes to five national championships and 13 Big Ten titles during his 28 seasons as head coach, he earned his undergraduate degree in international studies and law degree from Ohio State.

Hayes then sat on the bench as a Franklin County Municipal Court Judge for 25 years, notably removing himself as the presiding judge in former running back Maurice Clarett’s misdemeanor falsification charge in 2003. 

He also established the Anne Hayes Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence in Ohio State’s College of Social Work and endowed The Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies.

“We are grateful for his support for two outstanding academic programs,” university president Kristina M. Johnson said in a press release. “Judge Hayes was inspired by his parents’ belief in ‘paying forward’ in his career, his service to the community and his dedication to Ohio State. We offer condolences to his family.”

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