TORONTO — After a month long process that included 23 applicants, news broke Thursday night that the Toronto Red Knights have named Anthony Hayes, formerly a top assistant at Harrison Central, the new head football coach to replace Eric Meek.

“We had a seasoned applicant pool,” Toronto athletic director Chelsey Fletcher said. “The hiring committee worked diligently together to choose the best candidates for an interview process. And, in the end, it was a hands-down decision that coach Hayes was the best applicant.

“It was a fantastic number of applicants. That tells me that a lot of people understand that Toronto is a gem and there is a lot of potential in Toronto.”

Filling the position quickly was of the upmost priority to Fletcher and Toronto staff.

“It was extremely important,” she said. “Every program is important, but you need a head coach for your football program. It was a priority for myself, our principal and superintendent to show our young men that they are valued and that football is important so it was imperative to get it filled promptly.”

She is excited about what Hayes brings to the table.

“He does bring a lot of football experience,” Fletcher said of Hayes. “I am confident that he is going to do a fantastic job. I’m confident that he is going to ignite the hard-nosed football tradition in Toronto.”

Hayes, a 39-year-old resident of Cadiz, has been coaching for over 20 years starting right after graduating from Cadiz High School in 1997. He is equally excited to get started with the Red Knights.

“I’m very excited and very thankful for the opportunity,” Hayes said. “I am chomping at the bit to get started here. Toronto has great kids. They are a community based program and the community loves them.

“They are athletic minded kids. I am really eager to get to meet them and for them to meet me so we can build a relationship and continue the success that coach Meek and the other coaches currently at Toronto have established.”

He has been involved in high school sports in a variety of capacities, starting as an assistant at Cadiz (and eventually Harrison Central after consolidation) right out of high school. The rest of his experience includes being a wrestling coach and an athletic director for Northwestern High School in Wayne County Ohio, before returning to Cadiz to assist Huskies coach Justin Kropka.

“I’m very fortunate because I have been able to work with different sports,” Hayes said. “Also being in the athletic administration side of things I’ve kind of had the opportunity to wear different hats and I think that along the way it has made me a better coach.”

Both Hayes and Fletcher noted his emphasis on using multi-sport athletes. He respects the history of the program in Toronto and is happy to be stepping in to take over a talented team.

“I can remember dating back to when I was playing at Cadiz and Toronto was one of our rivals that they have always had a rich tradition in all sports and specifically in football,” he said. “They’ve had such a rich tradition of football there. When you think of Friday night football, you think of the Ohio Valley and schools like Toronto.”