The Athletics Department at Trinity Christian College has named Jason Hawkins as the new head coach of men’s basketball program. Hawkins brings experience to the position as he has coached at the collegiate and high school levels for the past 15 years.
“Coach Hawkins brings a strong skill set in player development and a solid track record of leadership to Trinity,” said Becky Starkenburg, Vice President for Student Life. “His positivity and ability to develop student-athletes and successful teams holistically is valued. We are very excited about his vision for a strong culture in our men’s basketball program at Trinity.”
Hawkins has more than 10 years of collegiate coaching and playing experience. For the past four years he has served as the head men’s basketball coach at Don Bosco Prep Institute in Crown Point, Indiana, where he has led the team to Mid-American Prep Tournament titles for the past three seasons. He has also successfully helped his athletes transition to collegiate programs with 24 student-athletes receiving NCAA Division I scholarships.
From 2011-14 Hawkins was the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana University-Northwest, where he increased the team’s winning percentage each season. He was the head coach at Calumet College of St. Joseph from 2004-06 and led that program to their first-ever post-season victories.
In addition Hawkins spent one season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Elmhurst College and was with Valparaiso University’s basketball program for two years as an assistant.
Hawkins played collegiately at Valparaiso University for three seasons from 2000-03. In his career the Crusaders were regular season conference champions each season, earned a NCAA Tournament bid in 2002, and participated in the 2003 NIT Tournament.
Hawkins has also been involved in high school athletics for a number of years. Since 2015 he served as the Athletics Director at Lake Station Edison High School and the prior year at Charter School of the Dunes in Indiana. At the high school level he also previous coached, taught, and was an assistant athletics director at Marquette Catholic High School in Michigan City, Indiana from 2007-10.
“I am really excited to take the reins of the men’s basketball team and am looking forward to creating a culture of excellence that aids our basketball players to excel academically, athletically, spiritually and socially” commented Hawkins. “The opportunity to lead and guide the team to use the gifts that God has given them to represent the College to the utmost is such a great privilege. It’s great to be a Troll.”
Hawkins earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Valparaiso in 2003 and a Master of Business Administration from Ashford University in 2010.
Hawkins replaces Coach Brandon Nicol, who served as Trinity’s head coach for the past seven seasons. Hawkins has immediately assumed his coaching duties at Trinity and is actively preparing for the upcoming 2018-19 season.
http://athletics.trnty.edu/index.php/mobile-mbball-news/5361-072718
