Tony Hawkins returns to the UWG track and field staff for his eighth year beginning in 2022. Hawkins came to West Georgia as a graduate assistant, but was quickly promoted to assistant coach, and in 2016 was part of a staff that led the Wolves to the first GSC Championship in school history. That same season, Hawkins coached national qualifier Ashley Davis in the NCAA Nationals in Bradenton, Florida where Davis finished 14th in the 200m dash as the first UWG athlete to compete in the national meet.
Hawkins had arguably his best season while coaching at West Georgia during the 2022-23 season. Under Hawkins leadership, Paishence Collier and Mia Culpepper became the first two West Georgia athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships. Hawkins helped freshman T'oni Birden take home the Most Outstanding Freshman Performer at the GSC Indoor Track and Field Championships. This year Hawkins helped produce 10 All-GSC athletes. There has not been a sprints record or jumps record in UWG history that Hawkins has not been a part of.
Nearly every outdoor record holder in the UWG record book was under Hawkins' tutelage including Dawn McCaskill's 100m dash record and both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles held by Amina Saunders. This upcoming season will present a new challenge to Hawkins and the Wolves as UWG will compete in a complete championship indoor season for the first time.
Prior to coming to West Georgia, Hawkins was the assistant coach at Cedar Grove High in Ellenwood, Georgia, spending seven seasons on the staff, winning three total state championships including one on the women's side and leading each the boy's and girl's squads to a pair of region titles.
As a student-athlete, Hawkins ran collegiately for Fort Valley State from 2000-04, where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. Recently, Hawkins completed his Master's of Teaching Degree in Special Education.
Hawkins holds a USATF Level 1 certification, USTFCCCA Track and Field Certification, USTFCCCA Specialist Certification in jumps and USTFCCCA Specialist Certification in Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays
Accomplishments
- 36 All-GSC Athletes (2016-2023)
- 18 GSC Champions (2016-2023)
- 2 GSC Freshman of the Year (2020) (2023)
- 1 GSC Outstanding Overall Performer (2016)
- 2 GSC Most Outstanding Field Performer (2016) (2022)
- 1 GSC Conference Championship (2016)
- 41 USTFCCCA (South) All-Region Athletes (2016-2023)
- 9 NCAA Division II Provisional Qualifiers (2016-2023)
- 4 NCAA Division II Qualifier (2016) (2023)
- 3 USTFCCCA Academic All-Americans
