Heather Hayes shaping IU Kokomo athletics for success

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When Heather Hayes took over as volleyball coach at Indiana University Kokomo in 2013, the program had just become an official NAIA competitor. It was a part-time position for her on a team that had been playing for just two years.

Little did anyone know how quickly athletics at IU Kokomo would grow and how much impact she would have. Eleven years later, Hayes is the athletic director for the university, and the banners hanging from the rafters at the campus’ Student Activities and Events Center tell a remarkable story of success.

Two cross country national finalists. A national track and field finalist. A basketball conference championship. Multiple volleyball conference championships and national finals runs. And a slew of individual accomplishments.

IU Kokomo now has 14 different collegiate sports programs, and at the center of it all is Hayes and her hard-work philosophy.

“When I came on board, it was a part-time position,” said Hayes. “I was a full-time high school teacher at Frankfort. Oh, I'm a Hot Dog alum! So I was teaching and coaching at my alma mater, and my principal, Steve Edwards, came to me and said, ‘Hey, this job's open.’

“I didn't even know IUK had a volleyball team. But I was like, I can't do that and teach. He said, “It's part-time. I'll put your prep in the afternoon so you could teach and then head over and work in the afternoon.’ So that’s what I did the first five years of building the program.”

While that worked initially, Hayes realized that she couldn’t spend the time necessary with the players to really connect. She couldn’t coach them the way they needed. But she went out and recruited the best she could. She brought in seven players her first year and hoped it was good enough. It wasn’t. She wanted more.

“I don't like to lose,” said Hayes. “I didn't like it as a high school coach. I didn’t like to lose here. But realistically, going into a program that was young, that only maybe won six games total in its first couple of years, I knew that this would be a building experience.”

Hoping to put together a .500 team in her first season, Hayes was surprised and gratified that the volleyball team finished 12-8, good for third in the NAIA River States Conference.

“Our goal every year since then is to do one step better,” said Hayes.

The volleyball program did exactly that. Over the past 12 years, the team has won the conference championship more nine times, and it made the NAIA national tournament nine times – possibly a tenth as the 2024 season is nearing the end of regular-season play.

Success didn’t come easy. When the team made the NAIA tournament for the first time, Hayes quickly realized how much it would take to be competitive at that level.

“As much success as we were having, there was a whole other world of volleyball way better than us,” said Hayes. “I thought we were doing well, and we were. We built quickly, and we had success quickly.

“But to compete on a national scale, there was a whole other level that still existed. It was great for our players to see that. When we went and played that first year, we were not competitive, despite our winning record.”

Things had to change. Hayes left her teaching job and became a full-time coach at IU Kokomo, eventually being named the athletic director for the university in March of this year. And she went out and recruited aggressively.

“We brought in some great players that I think would have been very difficult to get initially for a program that was new,” said Hayes. “I sold them on being a part of a history and tradition. If you come here, not only will you get an IU degree, but you are going to be a part of the history of building something.”

It paid off. This year, the volleyball team is nationally ranked, making it as high as No. 10. It stayed in the Top 25 the entire season. It is a legitimate NAIA powerhouse, but it was no easy task.

As a small school, catching top talent is tough. There is a stigma about competing in the NAIA, or even in Division II or III of the NCAA. The belief is that the play is better in Division I NCAA.

“That's untrue,” said Hayes. “If you look at our roster, we have at least six players who had Division I opportunities, and they chose to play here. We had players who had Division II opportunities who chose to play here. We have scrimmaged Division II teams and beat them. We have had opposing coaches say to us, ‘You could beat Division I teams.’

“I know we're not beating Purdue, but I mean we could win against mid-majors. We're not going to compete with the SEC or the Big 10, but we can play. So, the first thing to do is break the stigma associated with it. That's extremely difficult, but we do. We're able to break through to a few.”

That aggressiveness carries over to the 13 other sports IU Kokomo presents, and the campus is becoming more attractive to high-level talent. Hayes believes the campus sells itself, keeping students focused on academics as well as sports performance. The ability to stay close to home for some of the players. The more intimate class sizes and access to professors. The small-town feel in a growing city. And an Indiana University degree.

Hayes is convinced IU Kokomo is a destination campus that caters to a certain type of player, and she knows how to find them.

“Our living arrangements are probably our best features,” said Hayes. “Once we get them here, they're like, ‘This is so much better than a dorm.’  We're competing against top 25 Division II schools and mid-major and small Div. I schools for recruits.

“We provide the opportunity to play at a higher level but give them the balance of social life and academic life. We are a special niche for the right players, looking for that type of thing. I think what separates us is our culture.”

The philosophy is working. The volleyball team is currently 26-4 and an undefeated 13-0 in conference play. They are 4-1 against NAIA nationally ranked teams, including a win over No. 1-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University.

They have three games left on the regular-season schedule, including the final home game of the season on Sat., Nov. 2, at noon.

For more information about the IU Kokomo volleyball team or any of the sports offered by the university, follow IU Kokomo Athletics on Facebook or visit https://iukcougars.com/index.aspx