Gentry Hayes, UCM alum, named athletic director for city school district in Jackson

Published on Aug 22, 2024

The dynamic consortium of higher education institutions allowed Hayes to earn his master’s degree

Gentry Hayes is a father, coach, educator and school-based mental health coordinator — and Jackson Independent School District recently announced that he will serve as its new athletic director.

Hayes began working at the district a few years ago after completing his master's degree through the University Center of the Mountains (UCM) on Hazard Community & Technical College's (HCTC's) HWY 15 Campus in Hazard.

Hayes took over as the district's school-based mental health coordinator during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he described as "troubling" for young people.

"We saw a lot more anxiety, especially social anxiety," he said. "A lot of our students were not very comfortable coming to school. It seemed like every minor issue was a major one."

While navigating the waters of the pandemic, Hayes faced personal challenges. In 2022, his home sustained severe damage from flooding.

"We had a week and a half left before school started back when the 2022 flood hit," Hayes said. "Soccer season was about to start."

The floodwaters destroyed the team's field. As head soccer coach, he had to find a place for his team to practice.

"Our facilities were damaged, but we found fields to practice in and get ready for the season," he said.

His days consisted of working as a school-based mental health coordinator, coaching soccer in the afternoons and fixinghis home in the evenings.

His family was displaced for one year and moved back in on July 28, 2023. His soccer players helped him complete the repairs to his home.

In the Fall of 2022, Hayes' soccer team won its district championship. Since he began coaching

 the team in 2018, the program has won three All "A" Classic regional titles and two district titles.

"Working here is full circle. It's a family," the 2009 Jackson City School graduate said. "I went to school here. I played baseball, basketball and soccer here. I've had a hand in many of the programs over the years."

The UCM is a collaborative consortium of higher education institutions aimed at increasing

access to bachelor's, master's and select doctoral degrees in eastern Kentucky. Hayes exemplifies the collaboration's goal: allowing young people to remain close to home while obtaining higher education so they can live in and serve their communities.

"When I went off to college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I started as a history major, and I realized that wasn't for me," Hayes said. "But a professor of mine saw that I had an interest in psychology. I ended up studying it."

During his time at Union College, he played collegiate soccer before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), where he played club soccer. Hayes said he lived by the "C's get degrees" motto, something he regretted during his last year of bachelor's coursework.

"During my last year, I took a class all about careers in psychology. I learned that a lot of them required a master's degree. I hadn't thought much about my GPA until that point," he said.

After completing his bachelor's degree in psychology, Hayes went to work in community-based mental health and later transitioned to school-based mental health support.

When his daughter, Sawyer, was born, he said he knew that time would only become more valuable as she grew. He welcomed his second daughter, Cameron, just one year later.

"When Sawyer was born, I knew I had to go back to school and get my master's degree. If I didn't do it when I did, I was afraid I'd never do it," he said.

In the fall of 2018, he enrolled in the program housed at UCM, which offered courses provided by Lindsey Wilson College.

"I heard about UCM and Lindsey Wilson College's program from my supervisor at the time," he said. "The program coordinator at the time was so helpful, willing to come meet with me and talk about the program."

He said the program did a great job of meeting his needs as a working parent.

"Every person in my classes had responsibilities. Some had families and spouses at home, most had jobs," he said. "We had class on Fridays and Saturdays. The program allowed us to continue working while going to school."

Hayes will assume athletic director duties while continuing to provide school counseling services to students throughout the district. He said the program he completed through the UCM prepared him for his role.

"I learned a little about everything. If a student comes to me with trouble at home, I learned about family counseling and the roles of families," he said. "If a student needs help with figuring out their plans, I have resources I learned about in the program to help them."

Hayes resides in Jackson with his partner, Heather, and their two daughters, Cameron and Sawyer. For more information about the UCM, visit the University Center of the Mountains webpage. You may also contact Tammy Duff via phone at (606) 487-3067 or email tammy.duff@kctcs.edu.