Matthew Hayes was hired as the Associate Athletic Director of Football for the University of Arizona in January 2021 and promoted to Chief Financial Officer & Senior Associate Athletics Director of Internal Operations in January 2023. Hayes joined the staff with 19 years of combined playing and coaching experience and over 15 years of experience from the private sector.
A dynamic leader with a holistic vision for business operations, Hayes has over 16 years of financial and operational experience. He brings a unique combination of business acumen from the private sector and know-how in professional and collegiate sports to Arizona Athletics. His diversified professional background includes biotech, eCommerce, real estate, and professional and collegiate football.
Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Hayes was hired as the XFL Seattle Dragons Director of Football Operations and Offensive Assistant, working with quarterbacks, in 2019.
Hayes has also interned with the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons from 2018-2020 during training camp on the defensive side of the ball with the linebackers, working with Linebackers Coach Ken Flajole under Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz.
In 2013, Hayes transitioned to working with former NFL player and coach Jim Zorn for the next seven years, helping teach and train athletes at the NFL, collegiate, and high school levels. He also participated as an assistant position coach and quality control coach with Zorn in the 2015 East-West Shrine Bowl and the 2017 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
Hayes got his coaching start at Bellevue High School under Head Coach Butch Goncharoff, ranked in the Top 10 high school football coaches of all-time with a record of 207-27-0, and ended the national record 151- game winning streak held by De La Salle High School. While at Bellevue High School, Hayes coached and helped develop over 40 studentathletes that participated in collegiate football. Two have gone on to play in the NFL, Myles Jack, and Budda Baker. Through the five seasons from 2008-2012 at Bellevue High School, the football team won five consecutive State and Conference Championships with a combined record of 66-3 and was nationally ranked all five seasons.
Hayes is a native of Franklin, MA, and graduated from Xaverian Brothers High school in Westwood, MA, where he was a three-sport letter winner in football, basketball, and track and field. He went on to attend Bridgewater State University and was a three-sport letter winner in football, indoor and outdoor track and field. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. Hayes holds an MBA from the University of Washington. Matthew and his wife, Erika, currently reside in Tucson, Arizona, and have one son, Weston.
