Haywood was born in Houston, Texas. He attended St. Thomas High School in Houston and then the University of Notre Dame where he played as a wide receiver wearing jersey #1. In December 2007, Haywood was considered one of the two leading candidates for the head coaching position at the University of Houston, alongside Jack Pardee. However, the job eventually went to Kevin Sumlin. In December 2008, Haywood was named the head coach of the Miami RedHawks. He replaced Shane Montgomery.