Oct. 4, 2003
Editor’s Note: Current University of Iowa President David Skorton provided the opening remarks at a press conference involving award-winning UI Head Football Coach Hayden Fry Friday afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Here’s a copy of what Skorton said about Iowa’s all-time winningest football coach and one of the true legends of college football.
Few universities can claim to have a “living legend” on campus. Today, we are extremely fortunate that we can make that claim as we honor Coach Hayden Fry.
If there is anything that ties all programs and activities on our campus together, it is the pursuit of excellence. Coach Fry came to our University when our football team was down, and he showed us not only how to pursue excellence, but how to achieve it.
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“Coach Fry set the bar high for the future of Hawkeye football, Hawkeye athletics in general, and University achievement overall. Today, we are a larger, stronger, more accomplished institution than we were two decades ago. Hayden Fry certainly has something to do with that. Even now, some years after his retirement, he remains committed to the excellence and progress of The University of Iowa. He continues to work hard for us, and he continues to represent us wonderfully.”
UI President David Skorton
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His twenty years at the UI not only inspired our University community, and me personally, but also gave us a huge sense of Hawkeye pride.
The same can be said for Coach Fry’s influence on our state. Thanks in large part to his work in raising the Hawkeyes to national prominence, Iowans from border to border knew that the UI was all about high achievement, and our citizens increased their pride in our University and our great state of Iowa.
Coach Fry set the bar high for the future of Hawkeye football, Hawkeye athletics in general, and University achievement overall. Today, we are a larger, stronger, more accomplished institution than we were two decades ago. Hayden Fry certainly has something to do with that. Even now, some years after his retirement, he remains committed to the excellence and progress of The University of Iowa. He continues to work hard for us, and he continues to represent us wonderfully.
We all are grateful for the legacy and continued support of our Coach, my friend, Hayden Fry.
For for more coverage of Hayden Fry’s return to the campus of the University of Iowa, make a return visit hawkeyesports.com in the coming days.