HAYDEN DALEY

CONNORVILLE – Hayden Daley grew up in a football family. His father, Steve, coached at the high school level for several Ohio Valley schools, both as a head coach and assistant coach.

Now, the soon-to-be 27-year-old is leading his own program. The younger Dailey was recently named the head coach at Buckeye Local, taking over for Chris Kiedasich who stepped down after two years to take a position on the staff at Bethany College.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity here at Buckeye Local. We have a great corps of guys coming back and some skilled guys,” Daley said. “I’m excited about getting to work with them.”

Daley graduated from Steubenville Catholic in 2017. He attended Marietta College where he lettered for four years as a tight end. Following his career with the Pioneers that ended with his 2021 graduation, he spent two years as a graduate assistant at Wheeling University, coaching running backs and tight ends. He spent the next three seasons at Bethany College where he coached in a variety of positions.

“My first year I was a linebackers/special teams coordinator, but in my second year I coached the offensive line,” he said. “In my third year I started out with the linebackers and special teams, but midway through the season they switched me back to running backs and tight ends.”

That experience is a plus heading into his first season as a head coach.

“I have been able to gain experience on both sides of the football,” he noted.

Dailey got his football start at an early age. In addition to Steubenville Catholic, Steve Daley had tenures as a head coach or an assistant at Bellaire St. John, Buckeye Local, and Edison high schools.

“I’ve been on a football field since the day I could walk,” he recalled. “When my dad was the head coach at St. John (2000-2004) are my first memories of being on a football field. He actually came here to Buckeye Local as defensive coordinator and I was with him every day. I went into the coaches office at the stadium the other day and it is exactly how I remember it. It brought back a lot of memories.”

The younger Daley also had the privilege of playing four years for his father as a Crusader.

“It was a lot of fun. A lot of good memories, not too many bad memories. He would always tell everyone I was a pain because he would draw a play up one year and the next year he’d draw it up differently. I used to tell him ‘that’s not how we did it last year.’ He would always look back and say, ‘you know you were right.'”

Hayden also served as an assistant for his father for four years while he was helping out at Wheeling University and Bethany College.

“That was a very unique experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world,” he noted.

“I think it will definitely help me out for sure,” he said of having experience coaching on both sides of the ball. “My heart was always with the offensive side but after coaching defense for a couple of years, trying to assemble a coaching staff will allow me more insight.

“I need to be involved on both sides of the ball, but, at the same time, I can’t micromanage on either side of the ball. Great opportunity to coach on both sides of the ball while letting my assistant coaches coach.”

He has some staff members in place, but nothing has yet become official.

“I’m very thankful to Coy Sudvary (Superintendent), Lucas Parsons (Principal) and Jeff Patrick (Athletic Director) for giving me the opportunity to lead the football program here,” Daley said. “I’m very excited to work with everyone.”

In addition to those aforementioned individuals, Daley also wanted to give several others a shout out for playing a role in his development, both as a coach and a person.

“I want to thank my mom, Janet Daley, and my uncle and Godfather, Gregg Bahen,” he said “I never got the opportunity to play for him, but I was a waterboy when he was head coach at Steubenville Catholic. He is another role model for me.”

He also mentioned names like Zac Bruney, head coach at Wheeling University, and Brandon Robinson, head coach at Bethany College.

“They both did a lot to help me develop as a coach,” he said. “I’d also like to mention my college head coach, Andy Waddle, now head coach at Valparaiso and Alan Estep, now an assistant coach at Case Western Reserve University and Lucas Poggialli, the current head coach at Margaretta High School in northwest Ohio.

Daley recently started as a substitute teacher at Buckeye Local.

He became the 12th head coach in Buckeye Local football history. The school opened in 1990 and played for an Ohio Division II state championship in 1994, but hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 when the Panthers went 6-4 in Anthony Bartsch’s final year.

Daley resides in Mingo Junction.