Veteran intercollegiate athletics administrator Betty Hayes-Anthony has served at the UAPB since 1996 and helped pave the way for women's athletics at the university. Her appointment as senior administrator staff came in the summer of 2022, as she was re-named SWA/ Athletics and Alumni Relations under Vice Chancellor of Intercollegiate for Athletics, Chris Robinson.
With over 25 years with UAPB, Hayes-Anthony currently serves as an instructor in the UAPB Department of Health and Physical Education.
A Pine Bluff, AR., native who was very talented in high school, left Jefferson County and went on to Mississippi Valley State in 1976-1978 on a basketball and track scholarship. Hayes returned home to her roots at UAPB in 1978-81 to earn her bachelor’s degree in science and her master’s in physical education and played for the legendary coach (Alma Murphy), the school all-time winningest women's basketball coach.
Prior to arriving at UAPB, she coached in the West Memphis School District as Head Basketball/Track/Volleyball Coach, Dollarway School District Physical education teacher/Basketball/Track Coach, and the Pine Bluff School District Physical Education Teacher/Basketball/Track and field and Softball Coach. She has 39 years of coaching, teaching, and administration experience.
During her tenure at UAPB, Hayes started the softball program in 1997 and the bowling program in 1999. Hayes also has coached volleyball, softball, bowling, tennis, golf, and cheerleaders, while working as an administrator for the athletics department. Hayes-Anthony's work is noticed in the community and around college sports.
In 2020, she received the UAPB Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, the 2021 Pine Bluff Most Distinguished Women in Sports Award, the July 2022 Simmons Bank Women in Athletics featured in Money and Politics Magazine, and UAPB Homecoming Women in Sports Recognition. In Fall 2024, she was inducted into the AM&N/UAPB Letter “A” Hall of Fame as an Honorary Member and attend the New St. Hurricane Missionary Baptist Church, Pine Bluff Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and Pine City Temple Daughters of Elks.
Betty Hayes-Anthony has three adult sons, Anthony, Andre, and Medric, and five grandchildren, Melique, Lauryn, Kalyn, Adrian, and Jocelyn.
