Joseph Hawkins, a Chicago native who spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the coaching staff at Bryant University and was most recently an offensive and special teams analyst at Duke University, joined the Northern Illinois University football coaching staff as wide receivers coach in April 2022.
In his first season in DeKalb, Cole Tucker led the Huskies with 45 receptions for 632 yards and scored four touchdowns. He earned Third Team All-MAC honors from Pro Football Focus and was the fourth overall selection in the 2023 CFL Draft. Kacper Rutkiewicz led NIU with 16.6 yards per reception and six touchdown receptions. In 2023 Trayvon Rudolph earned All-MAC Third Team honors after leading NIU with 51 receptions and 536 receiving yards.
A three-time all-conference tight end at Norfolk State University who earned third team All-America honors in 2013, Hawkins has spent the last eight seasons coaching wide receivers and tight ends at four different universities.
“We are certainly excited about Coach Hawkins and what he brings to NIU,” Hammock said. “We had a lot of interest in the position and conducted a very thorough search, he stood out among that group as someone who brings exactly what we were looking for. He has an excellent knowledge of the wide receiver position and has done a great job developing players wherever he’s been. He’s a very welcome addition to our staff.”
Hawkins coached wide receivers and tight ends for two seasons at Bryant, helping the Bulldogs improve from the lowest ranked passing offense in the conference to the highest in his first season. In 2021, Hawkins coached all-conference wide receiver David Zorrilla, who became the second Bulldog to lead the Northeast Conference (NEC) in receiving yards per game.
A product of Chicago’s Eisenhower High School where he played for Huskie alum and current assistant coach Travis Moore, Hawkins said he was happy for the opportunity at NIU and the chance to return to Illinois.
“This is a huge opportunity,” Hawkins said. “I’m really excited about working with Coach Hammock and these players. Coach Hammock is known to be a great coach who cares about helping develop coaches as well as players. It’s an honor to be a part of the staff and to do my part working with the receivers. I’m ready to help us take the next step.”
Prior to his time at Bryant, Hawkins spent one season (2019) as a graduate assistant coaching wide receivers and tight ends at Florida International University in Miami and was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Warner University (NAIA) in Lake Wales, Florida, for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He also served as the passing game coordinator, coaching three all-conference players in his time there.
Hawkins began his coaching career at NCAA Division II Pace University in Pleasantville, New York in 2014, where he spent three seasons (2014-16) working with the wide receivers, running backs and tight ends, while also serving as special teams coordinator.
A four-year letterwinner at tight end at Norfolk State, Hawkins was a BSN third-team All-American and HBCU honorable mention All-American tight end in 2013. He earned second team All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) recognition in 2011 and was a first team selection in 2012 and 2013, when he was also recognized as the Spartans’ Offensive Player of the Year.
He earned his B.S. from NSU in December 2013 and a master’s degree in public administration from Pace in 2017.
