The 2024 season will be Ben Hayden's eighth season at WKU. It will be his sixth as the Head Equipment Manager, a position he assumed prior to the 2019 season.
Hayden has overseen several changes in WKU's uniforms, including a new look during the most recent 2023 season. The season saw the addition of stripes to the team's jerseys, pants, and helmets, while there were also bigger decals added to helmets and new facemask covers. The pants also featured the "Tops" script logo under the belt. The highlight of the season for the WKU equipment staff came during the Oct. 24 game against Liberty, when the Hilltoppers wore helmets featuring seven different variations of the Big Red logo, which players wore based on position. The helmets also featured a new bumper – Big Red's eyes. The uniform reveal for the Big Red game generated over $1 million in media exposure value through social media and earned media, according to a study conducted by Nielsen. WKU also broke out the old-school stacked WKU logo for its 2023 homecoming game against New Mexico State.
Under Hayden, WKU debuted Big Red helmets on Nov. 12, 2022, for a 45-10 Hilltopper victory over Rice at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The helmets worn for that game all featured WKU's mascot throwing the football.
Hayden came to WKU after working as a Graduate Assistant at Akron, where he earned his master’s degree in Education. Prior to his stint there, Hayden spent two seasons as an intern with the NFL’s Detroit Lions (2014-15). A native of East Lansing, Michigan, Hayden attended Michigan State, where he worked in the football equipment room from 2011-13 while earning his bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Hayden is an AEMA certified equipment manager and is currently pursuing an MBA at WKU. In his spare time, he volunteers as a Young Life College Life Leader and plays golf.
