Steve Hawkins

Biography

Primary Responsibilities: Defensive Coordinator, NIL Coordinator Steve Hawkins joined the Saluki basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach in April 2024 and was promoted to associate head coach in March 2025. In addition to his regular coaching responsibilities, Hawkins serves as the program's defensive coordinator on game days and manage the Salukis' NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) efforts. Hawkins made an immediate impact during his first season with the program. After assuming the role of defensive coordinator in early January, the Saluki defense showed significant improvements in protecting the rim and the paint. Initially, SIU ranked last nationally in paint defense after the first five MVC games. However, by the end of the final 15 games of league play, they improved to within the top 100 nationally for opponent field goal percentage at the rim (82nd – 59.8%). The team's paint defense saw an even more dramatic improvement, rising from 364th nationally—where opponents shot 58.9 percent in the paint—to 20th nationally, as opponents finished the season shooting only 34.8 percent in the paint. Hawkins brought with him to Carbondale nearly four decades of coaching experience to SIU, including 28 years as a head coach. His most recent position was at Quincy University, following almost two decades at Western Michigan. During his 17 seasons as the head coach of the Broncos, Hawkins achieved 291 victories and led Western Michigan to the NCAA Tournament twice, making seven tot