Following up on our report from earlier today (D2 DIRT). Steve Hawkins has officially been named as the head men’s basketball coach at Quincy University. Here’s the release:
Quincy University has announced the return of Steve Hawkins as its head men’s basketball coach.
Hawkins is a former long-time and successful head men’s basketball coach at QU. Today, Hawkins is coming back to QU after many years spent at Western Michigan University, where he served as the head men’s basketball coach from 2003-2020 and the assistant basketball coach from 2000-2003.
“Steve Hawkins is an accomplished coach and an extraordinary leader and strategist. Today, he returns to the university where he first made his mark in the basketball world,” said Brian McGee, Ph.D., QU president.
“Coach Hawkins understands Quincy. He understands the Catholic and Franciscan values of this university. He understands what it takes to win and to excel in our extraordinarily competitive athletic conference. Today, we at QU understand that Steve Hawkins is the right person to lead our men’s basketball program,” McGee said.
Born and raised in California, Hawkins earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Alabama and a master’s in sports science from the United States Sports Academy. He served as the head men’s basketball coach at QU from 1990-2000 and was an assistant basketball coach at St. Andrew’s College from 1988-1990. Following the conclusion of his time at Western Michigan, Hawkins developed a private business, Next Possession Consulting and Corporate Coaching, in 2020 to provide leadership and guidance to businesses, teams and individuals looking to better themselves. His clients included pharmaceutical companies, UPS, Merrill Lynch and The Kellogg Company.
“We are so thrilled to welcome back Steve Hawkins as our new head men’s basketball coach,” said Josh Rabe ’01, M.S.E., QU athletic director. “One of the guiding principles we had throughout the search process was the desire to find someone that was a recruiter and developer, as well as someone with a strong coaching pedigree. In hiring Coach Hawkins, we absolutely have found that person.”
“Hawkins is a proven winner at both the Division I and Division II ranks, and his focus on positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes during and after their time at Quincy University is a pillar of what Quincy University Athletics represents. We look forward to having Coach Hawkins and his family back on campus and reintroducing them to the Quincy University community,” said Rabe.
During Hawkins’s tenure at Western Michigan University, he compiled a record of 291- 262 with eleven straight top-three finishes in the Mid-American Conference West division. He took the Broncos to seven 20-win seasons and made two appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament.
“I want to thank President McGee and Athletic Director Rabe for affording me the opportunity to come back to a city and university that holds a very special place in my heart,” said Hawkins. “After visiting with both of them, it became evident that we have a shared passion for success.”
“I have long felt this university is a hidden gem,” said Hawkins. “It’s time to let everyone know that we are coming out of hiding. We have a lot of heavy lifting in front of us to get this program back to the place of competitive greatness the students, city and alumni deserve, but that’s what I intend to do. I want to bring excitement back to Pepsi Arena in a manner that makes our basketball-crazed community proud. I am honored to once again be the Head Basketball Coach at Quincy University and can’t wait to get started.”
In his first coaching stint at Quincy University, Hawkins compiled a record of 137-111 and had three NCAA Division II tournament appearances. His overall record as a head coach is 428-373. He was honored as the Mid-Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2014.
