Basil Hayden in 1921, after winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships
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Sport(s) | Basketball |
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Biographical details | |
Born |
Stanford, Kentucky |
May 19, 1899
Died | January 9, 2003 Paris, Kentucky |
(aged 103)
Playing career | |
1919–1922 | Kentucky |
Position(s) | Forward |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1922–1923 | Kentucky Wesleyan |
1923–1926 | George Rogers Clark HS |
1926–1927 | Kentucky |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 11–14 (college only) |
Basil Ewing Hayden (May 19, 1899 – January 9, 2003) was an American college basketball player and coach. A Kentucky native, he began playing the sport in the sixth grade and, after a year at Transylvania University, transferred to the University of Kentucky to study chemistry and play on the school's basketball squad. He captained the team to victory at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship and was named an All-American for his efforts – the first basketball player to earn the honor at the University of Kentucky.
After graduating in 1922 Hayden took on a number of different jobs and was called to coach the University of Kentucky's basketball team in 1926 following the departure of Ray Eklund. After a 3–13 record in his first year he was replaced with John Mauer and returned to his previous occupations. When he died in 2003, at the age of 103, he was the University of Kentucky's oldest former athlete, and his jersey is among those hung in the school's Rupp Arena.
Hayden was born in Stanford, Kentucky; his father Joseph was a grocer, and his mother Annie (née: Brown) was a tutor. He moved to Paris, Kentucky at an early age and began playing basketball in the sixth grade, which he continued upon entering Paris High School. He was drafted into the United States Army during World War I, but the conflict ended before he was shipped out. He entered Transylvania University in 1918, intending to become a minister, but switched to the University of Kentucky the following year to study industrial chemistry. While there, he played tennis and competed in the javelin throw, setting a school record.