June 29, 2024
MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Chris Dooley, Brewton-Parker College vice president for Athletics, has named Tony Hawkins as the director of both the Barons' Track and Field and Cross Country programs.
Hawkins comes to Mount Vernon from Carrollton, Ga., where he has been the assistant coach at the University of West Georgia since 2015.
"Being able to combine my faith with my passion is a full circle moment for me," Hawkins said. "I would like to thank Mr. Dooley and the entire staff for their hospitality to both my wife and I during this process. I look forward to the future and to continue to add to the history of success."
Hawkins is coming off arguably his best season while at West Georgia, coaching five student-athletes that reached national qualifying marks in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. While in Carrollton, he was the primary coach for sophomore standout T'oni Birden, who placed sixth in the long jump and 16th in the triple jump at the national meet. In addition, Hawkins has been responsible for leading UWG's first two-time All-American who earned fourth at indoor nationals and was awarded the Gulf South Conference Field Athlete of the Year honor, sweeping both the indoor and outdoor conference recognitions in the same season.
"We are extremely excited to have Tony join the Brewton-Parker family and to help lead our cross country and track and field programs," Dooley said. "His experience at West Georgia and his dedication to his faith has made him the perfect selection to become our director. We look forward to seeing what he can accomplish here at BPC."
Continuing with his recent success in Carrollton, Hawkins has led a UWG team to a second-place finish at the GSC Conference Championships and was responsible for three student-athletes earning USTFCCCA All-Region honors. During their runner-up performance at the conference meet, the UWG women earned five GSC Championships in three events while also earning four individual Second-Team All-GSC honors in five events, and a podium sweep in the triple jump.
Under his leadership, Hawkins coached UWG's first pair of student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships. In addition, he helped lead his student-athletes to a Most Outstanding Freshman honor and 10 All-GSC honors, being an integral part of several record-breaking performances.
Hawkins joined UWG first as a graduate assistant before swiftly being promoted to the assistant position. In 2016, he was a member of the staff which led the Wolves to a program-first GSC Championship. During the same season, Hawkins coached a national qualifier to a 14th-place finish in the 200-meter dash, the first national contender in program history.
Prior to West Georgia, Hawkins was the assistant at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga., spending seven seasons on staff and earning three state titles as well as a pair of region titles in the process. He graduated from Fort Valley State with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and has recently completed his Master's Degree in Special Education.
Hawkins holds a USATF Level 1 certification, USTFCCCA Track and Field Certification, and USTFCCCA Specialist certifications in jumps, sprints, hurdles, and relays.
