The Quincy University Athletic Department replaced its boss for the men’s basketball program.

Steve Hawkins was formally introduced as the Hawk’s next head basketball coach on March 9, at 2 p.m. in the Hall of Fame room.

Coach Hawkins won 137 games during his 9 year tenure at QU between 1991-2000, prior to his transition to the Division I level at Western Michigan.

Hawkins had also served as QU’s assistant coach from 1987 to 1988.

At the Division I level, Hawkins posted a 291-262 record that included seven 20-win seasons. He was also the Mid-American Conference coach of the year in 2014.

There was an array of Hawk players, coaches, and community members in the Hall of Fame room to sit in for the press conference announcement in welcoming back coach Hawkins.

During the national search for this position, QU Athletic Director Josh Rabe, made it clear that he received over 200 applicants and a countless amount of inquires for this job opening.

As a result, this confirmed to QU that the men’s basketball program is still relevant and still a brand in Division II basketball and the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

“We not only needed to find a quality candidate, a person of character, a person of experience, but we also needed someone to embrace QU and this basketball community that’s looking for our next leader to embrace them too,” Rabe said.

In the end of dwindling down the nominees, Hawkins stood out among the rest of the qualified candidates.

Hawkins has always felt that QU was a hidden gem for the game of basketball and he explains that it is time to come out of hiding.

“I think it’s time to return QU to to its rightful place, amongst the nation’s elite of competitive greatness when it comes to Division II basketball,” Hawkins stated. “And we’re gonna do that.”

During the press conference, coach Hawkins also emphasized that his brand of basketball will be built the right way.

“We’re going to do it with kids are going to make you all proud, that are going to make this community proud, the city proud, as well as the alumni,” Hawkins said. “We are going to carry ourselves, conduct ourselves the right way, and during the recruiting process we tell all of our guys the same thing. We want you to be a beast on the court and a gentlemen off of it.”

On Monday, April 11, coach Hawkins tweeted that his 30 day plan for the QU Hawks men’s basketball has been a success.

Coach Hawkins has hired his selected staff and already has four signees that fit Hawkins’ and the basketball team’s culture moving forward.

An inspiring piece of Hawkins’ background includes working for arguably the greatest coach of all time in any sport, John Wooden.

Wooden influenced coach Hawkin’s passion behind coaching following a press conference interview of Wooden’s after a game.

“He stood in front of the microphone and was asked, ‘Is this the best recruiting class you have ever had?’ and coach said I’ll let you know in about 20 to 30 years,” Hawkins said. “And that’s, that’s why I am here.”