As top assistant under then-coach Larry Brown, Ayers helped guide the 76ers to five consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2001. Known for his pressure-defense mindset and up-tempo style, Ayers joined the Sixers as the physical conditioning coach in June 1997 before earning a spot as an assistant coach in July 1998.

Prior to arriving in Philadelphia, Ayers spent eight seasons as head coach at The Ohio State University. He guided the Buckeyes to an overall record of 124-108 (.534), four post-season appearances and back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1991 and 1992. Ayers was named National Coach of the Year in 1991 by both The Associated Press and Black Coaches Association. He led his 1991 squad to a school-record 27 victories and its first of two conference titles. Ayers received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in both 1991 and 1992, after directing the Buckeyes to a school-record 15 conference victories in each season.

Ayers spent six years as an assistant coach at Ohio State, including three years under current Maryland head coach Gary Williams and three years under Eldon Miller, before being promoted to head coach in 1989. He arrived in Columbus after two years as an assistant coach at the U.S. Military Academy, where he coordinated the team's recruiting. Prior to his stint at West Point, he spent two years as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

During his coaching career, Ayers has also been involved with USA Basketball. He joined Gene Keady at the 1991 Pan Am Games, where the U.S. team won a bronze medal. During the summer of 1993, Ayers was an assistant to P.J. Carlesimo for Team USA during a European tour. He also served as head coach for the Big Ten All-Star Team during a tour of Japan in June of 1995, a team that posted a perfect 7-0 record, the first time in conference history.

The Ohio Player of the Year as a senior at Springfield North High School, Ayers went on to an impressive collegiate career at Miami (Ohio). A four-year starter and an all-conference performer for the Red Hawks, he finished his career with 1,203 points (11.5 ppg.) and 667 rebounds (6.4 rpg.), leading Miami (Ohio) to back-to-back Mid-American Conference championships in 1977 and 1978 and an NCAA Tournament appearance during his senior season. Ayers is a member of the Hall of Fame at both Springfield North and Miami (Ohio). He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft, but was released on the final cut. Prior to starting his coaching career, Ayers played a year of professional basketball for the Reno Bighorns of the Western Basketball Association (WBA) and was named to the WBA All-Star Team as a second team selection.

Ayers also participated in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program in September of 2006 in Johannesburg, South Africa, assisting in a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

Born on April 16, 1956, Ayers graduated from Miami (Ohio) in 1978 with a degree in education and later earned his master’s of education degree in 1981. A native of Springfield, Ohio, he and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Ryan (20) and Cameron (15). Ryan is a member of the basketball team at the University of Notre Dame.