North makes Hays its new coach.

Byline: Chris Hansen The Register-Guard

Jeff Hays' grandfather is a former Oregon basketball great, his father is one of the most renowned high school coaches in the state of Montana, and Hays himself once played the role of Luke Jackson in a University of Montana practice during the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

Now, at the age of 25, Hays is ready to make a name for himself.

Hays has been hired as the new coach of the North Eugene boys basketball team, replacing Bill Wagner, who resigned in April to spend more time with his family.

Hays, who was the graduate assistant coach at Montana the past two seasons, has never been a head coach.

He takes over a program that went undefeated and won the Class 5A state title in 2007, and went 24-2 through the regular season this year before losing in the first round of the state tournament to eventual champion Jefferson.

Overall, the Highlanders went 88-18 the past four seasons, though they will need to replace a core group of six seniors, including Brian Conklin, the 2007 state player of the year.

"I know it's a great program with a great history," Hays said. "I also know it might be a little daunting. There will be some pressure to win and people will say `He's a young guy, he's not ready for this.' But I have a fear of failure. I'll put more pressure on myself to succeed than other people will."

Hays was hired out of a field of three finalists, said North Eugene athletic director Corey Nicholsen. All three were brought in to conduct a practice with a group of soon-to-be-departed seniors and Hays impressed everyone who participated.

"He's obviously got a great personality and his basketball knowledge is incredible," Nicholsen said. "We also wanted somebody with a lot of energy."

No problems there, said Hays, who knew since middle school he wanted to be a basketball coach and follow in the footsteps of his father, Eric Hays, a 1970 Junction City High School graduate who went on to win more than 350 games and three-state titles as a coach at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Mont.

Hays starred on a few of those teams at Hellgate, before moving on to Montana, where as redshirting freshman small forward in 2002, he played Jackson on the scout team as the Grizzlies prepared for a first-round game against the Ducks.

"I had a great week," Hays said. "That was a lot of fun."

It also made for a good storyline, since Hays grandfather on his dad's side is the late Kenneth Hays, who played for the Ducks from 1945-47.

Hays eventually transferred to Carroll College, an NAIA Division-I school in Helena, Mont., where he played three seasons. He then returned to Montana in 2006 to coach and get his master's in education.

Hays still has family in Junction City and he has a sister who lives in Portland and is married to Central Catholic coach Mike Petrino.

"The quality of basketball in Oregon is very competitive right now and I'm honored to now be coaching at this level," Hays said. "I know a lot of people wanted this job."

In other coaching news on Wednesday, Springfield High School baseball coach Jim Rise announced his resignation, school officials said.