Jay Hayes joins Arkansas staff

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – NFL veteran coach Jay Hayes has joined the Arkansas staff to coach the Razorbacks’ defensive line.

Hayes coached for two decades in the NFL beginning in 1999 with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a special teams coach. He coached special teams with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2002 season before landing his first defensive line assignment with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003. Hayes coached the Bengals’ defensive line for 13 seasons with his last coming in 2015. During his tenure in Cincinnati, the Bengals made the playoffs seven times – including five consecutive from 2011-15 – and won the AFC North division four times. He took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive line for two seasons during the 2016-17 years. His last stint in the NFL came with the Green Bay Packers during the 2018 season as the team’s assistant defensive line coach.

Since 2022, Hayes has served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the Arlington Renegades of the UFL. He also coached in The Spring League – a developmental league – with the Jousters as the team’s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2021. He was the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the St. Louis Battlehawks’ inaugural season in the XFL in 2020.

A four-year lettermen at Idaho, Hayes played professionally in the NFL, USFL and CFL before beginning his coaching career. He was a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 1988 under former Arkansas head coach Lou Holtz when he led the Fighting Irish to a national championship. Hayes was promoted the following year to the outside linebackers/defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator for three seasons. He coached at California (1992-94) and Wisconsin (1995-98) before joining the Steelers.

The Razorbacks return to action next week at Tennessee with kick off set for 3:15 CT on SEC Network.