MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University alumni and supporters the Hayhurst family have increased their commitment to West Virginia University athletics with a generous donation of $2.5 million to the WVU women’s basketball program.
In recognition of their philanthropic leadership, the Hayhurst family is recognized as a member of the Gold Coat Circle, the highest level of philanthropic giving at the Mountaineer Athletic Club.
A donation of $2 million will be used to permanently fill the head coaching position on the women’s basketball team. Additionally, a donation of $500,000 will be used to support the most urgent needs and daily operations of the women’s basketball team.
“What a tremendous honor for our women’s basketball program to have an endowment for the head coach position. The coaches’ endowment and their additional donation prove once again that the Hayhurst family’s loyalty and commitment to WVU Athletics is unending,” said Vice President and Athletic Director Wren Baker. “Our department cannot thank Christy (Hayhurst Davis) and the Hayhurst family enough for their support, trust and loyalty over the years. This donation will be a huge asset to the overall success of our women’s basketball program.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Hayhurst family for their continued support and generous donation to the women’s basketball program.” WVU women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg said. “This will help us continue our push toward the Big 12 Conference and NCAA Championships. It will allow us to pursue new opportunities within our program and help us innovate our way in this collegiate landscape while building on the traditions of the West Virginia women’s basketball program.”
The Hayhursts are West Virginia natives who grew up in Buckhannon. They are long-time supporters of West Virginia University and Mountaineer Athletics. The Hayhurst family is pleased to continue their long-term support of WVU Athletics and academics with this donation, which will ensure continued support of Coach Kellogg and his staff and players in the classroom and on the field.
Siblings Ronald, the late Robert and the late Robin Hayhurst were all the first in their generation to graduate from WVU with a college degree. Ronald earned his degree in accounting while Robert and Robin earned degrees in sports management. Their passion for sports and academics at WVU has been passed down to the next generation as Robert’s daughter Christy Hayhurst Davis and her husband James Davis (both graduates of the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources) and their three daughters.
The entire Hayhurst family, now spanning three generations, is an avid supporter of West Virginia University and WVU sports.
“The WVU women’s basketball team, under the leadership of Coach Kellogg, along with his coaches and staff, has done an outstanding job of recruiting new members to the team and developing existing ones to ensure their athletic and academic success,” Christy said. “Our family is happy to support them and the program in the future as they continue to represent all West Virginians and develop the female leaders of tomorrow.”
The donation is the Hayhurst family’s second gift for a head coaching position at WVU and will give $1 million to the shooting program in 2022.
“The Hayhurst family is committed to making a difference in the Mountain State,” said BJ Davisson, executive vice president and chief development officer of the WVU Foundation. “Their growing support touches virtually every aspect of WVU – from athletics to education to community outreach to health care – to ensure the state’s residents have every opportunity close at hand. We appreciate their continued generosity and leadership in enriching the lives of West Virginians.”
The Hayhurst family’s donation was made through the Mountaineer Athletic Club in partnership with the WVU Foundation, of which Christy Hayhurst Davis is a board member. The WVU Foundation is a nonprofit organization that accepts and manages private donations on behalf of the university and its affiliated institutions.
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