DaytonDailyNews.com

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Mike Haywood said he is more concerned about the getting Miami University football back to the top of the Mid-American Conference than he is about his own place in history as the school's first African-American head coach.

"When I look at myself in the mirror, I do realize I am black," Haywood said with a smile during a press conference Tuesday, Dec. 30, at Miami's Voice of America Learning Center, where he was introduced to the local media and public. "At the same time, when I walk out onto the field and address the players, I address them just as a man.

"It's the success of Miami University (that counts)," he added, "not the success of Mike Haywood."

Miami's president, David Hodge, noted that it was Haywood who "rose above the rest (of the candidates) in an important and powerful way" during the interviewing process.

"Here we are, an institution which on Feb. 17 will be 200 years old, but we're anything but stodgy," Hodge said, explaining that he expects the football program to reach a new level.

Haywood, 44, characterized the type of program he wants.

"My team will be defined by character. ... We'll have a championship mentality, and integrity on and off the field," he said.

"We're going to have a sense of responsibility to carry this on and off the football field in a polished and poised manner," he added. "Our goal is to bring Miami University back to the championship days they once had."

Although Miami has endured two 2-10 seasons in the last three years, Haywood said it might not take long to begin turning Miami back into a MAC contender.

"There are a lot of young men with a lot of talent," he said. "There is an opportunity to win because of the players who are here."

Another priority for Haywood is recruiting.

"We're going to put two coaches (to recruit) in Cincinnati," he said. "We're really going to hit the inner-city schools, and also the parochial schools and suburban schools."

The three things Haywood said he will expect from recruits are academic ability, good chemistry, "and they have to be able to play on the football field."

Haywood said the focus of Miami's recruiting efforts will be in Ohio, Michigan, western Pennsylvania, northern Kentucky, Indiana, the Chicago area, the Nashville-Memphis (Tenn.) area and Atlanta.

Right now, Haywood is in the process of filling out his staff.

"The last two days, I've interviewed every coach on the (Miami) staff," he said. "At this point in time, I will definitely keep one, possibly two."

Haywood said he also intends to bring on board Kevin Loney, the offensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.