Michigan State receiver Omari Kelly’s face lit up when asked about his position coach, Courtney Hawkins, during this year’s spring practice. “I love coach Hawk, that’s my guy,” said Kelly, a first-team Conference USA standout who transferred from Middle Tennessee State following last season. “We have our serious moments, but a lot of times, we are just bonding and having a good time. Since he’s played at the highest level, he can chime in on things he has seen and experienced and that puts things in better perspective for me.”
Hawkins, a Beecher High School legend and one of the finest athletes the Flint-area has ever produced, is in his sixth season coaching the Spartans’ receiving corps. During that time, the respected former NFL starter and MSU wide receiver, whose name still dots the program’s record book in several categories, has proven himself an effective leader, skillful recruiter, developer of men and honor of talent.
Hawkins came to East Lansing in early 2020 after serving as Beecher’s head football coach and athletic director from 2006-2019, jumping from one alma mater to another.
“My years here have been great, man, because it’s been back home for me and like a dream come true,” he said. “Coaching college football is something I’ve always wanted to do and what better place than where it started for me. Of course, it’s different from high school with the players having NIL (name, image and likeness) deals and the fluid transfer portal, but football is football.”
“Coaching college football is something I’ve always wanted to do and what better place than where it started for me.”
— Courtney Hawkins
What Hawkins demands from his receivers can be summed up by a sign in his office which reads “No Block, No Rock,” meaning they must display the same characteristics Hawkins did as a player — physical, gritty and willing to sacrifice. That’s the only way the football will be thrown their way.
“I put that sign up a couple of years ago, but what it says has always been my policy,” Hawkins said. “At times, wide receiver is seen as a prima donna position, but we expect the guys in our room to be physical, get downfield and block because that’s how almost all of our major runs happen. If not, our room is not the room for you.”
Last season, receivers in that room ranked sixth among 18 Big Ten teams in yards per reception (12.3). Led by Kelly and Nick Marsh, who set MSU freshman records for receptions (41) and receiving yards (649), Hawkins expects this season’s group to be even better. Kelly finished with a team-best seven catches for 75 yards in the Spartans’ season-opening win over Western Michigan.
“We have a talented group of guys who bring different things to the table and are great to work with,” he said. “They all are of various sizes, speeds and strengths, so it’s like I’ve put together a basketball team with someone filling each position. Just how the guys interact and pull for each other is huge.”
Hawkins is counting on his receivers to be a key reason the Spartans snap a streak of three straight losing seasons in head coach Jonathan Smith’s second year.
“We have a solid nucleus returning and have put together a good team overall,” he said. “I think this being coach Smith’s second year will make a difference because there isn’t the transition to a new coaching staff and philosophy. Plenty of guys have shown growth from last year and the transfer portal was good for us.”
Spending significant time on the road recruiting part of that nucleus is among Hawkins’ most important duties, and he has consistently delivered results. During Hawkins’ tenure, Michigan State has landed 11 receivers ranked among the top 100 in the nation for their graduation years by 247Sports. Earlier this year, he secured commitments from the No. 46 (Samson Gash) and No. 71 (Tyren Wortham) Class of 2026 receivers. Gash (Detroit Catholic Central) is also the state’s top-rated receiver.
“For recruiting, I focus on being myself and transparent and not making promises I can’t keep, like telling a kid he will start as a freshman,” Hawkins said. “I share the good and bad of the recruiting process and college football. I believe recruits and their parents appreciate that I’m raw and uncut because I once went through the whole process myself.”
Hawkins also emphasizes to recruits what being one of his guys entails. They will be taken care of. “I consider all my guys extensions of my family,” he said. “I’m going to be checking in on them regularly and inviting them to our house for meals and bonding time. If you’re sick or something, my wife and I will both be checking up on you, putting together a care package or anything else you need.”
The 55-year-old Hawkins caught the attention of college recruiters during a highly productive high school career. He was a running back then, racking up 3,202 yards on just 378 attempts, an astounding 8.5 yards per carry, with 63 touchdowns. An All-Stater, Hawkins finished with 4,569 yards in total offense and was a standout defensive back. Hawkins also was a basketball and track All-Stater, starting at point guard for Beecher’s 1985 and 1987 Class B state championship teams. On the track, he helped the Buccaneers to four team state titles, running on four state champion relay squads.
After graduating in 1988, Hawkins came to Michigan State eager to contribute as a running back or defensive back, but coach George Perles felt Hawkins could excel most at receiver and the switch was made. After an adjustment period, Hawkins broke out as a sophomore with then-school records of 60 receptions for 1,080 yards, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. The yardage mark stood for a decade until broken by Plaxico Burress.
During his time with the Spartans, Hawkins collected other honors, including the 1991 Governor of Michigan Award, presented to the Spartan voted most valuable by his teammates. He also received MSU’s Downtown Coaches Club Award for most outstanding offensive player as a senior. As a junior, Hawkins was MVP of the John Hancock Bowl, finishing with six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown as MSU edged USC, 17-16.
Hawkins still ranks fifth in program history in career kick returns (65), sixth in receiving yards (2,210) and kick return yards (1,571), eighth in all-purpose yards (4,125) and ninth in receptions (138).
After being taken in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hawkins spent five seasons with the team and four with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His 14 receptions against the Tennessee Titans in 1998 is tied for third in Steelers history for most catches in a single game. Hawkins finished his NFL career with 366 catches for 4,573 yards and 18 touchdowns in 129 games.
In 14 seasons as Beecher coach, Hawkins guided the Bucs to a 93-54 record, including 12 playoff berths, a regional championship and three conference titles. During the final years of his Beecher tenure, Hawkins became more open to college coaching but wasn’t going to leap at just any opportunity.
In February 2020, he began hearing rumblings that people were reaching out to new MSU coach Mel Tucker on his behalf about making Hawkins the program’s next receivers coach. Finally, he had to know: Is this for real? Hawkins had a familiarity with Tucker and contacted him, indicating his interest. In relatively short order, Hawkins was named receivers coach.
“My wife and I had actually been praying for about three years for the right college coaching opportunity to come along,” said Hawkins, whose family includes three daughters.
“I think how I had proven myself, my rapport with the players and the knowledge and experience I bring were all factors in me still being here.”
— Courtney Hawkins
Hawkins immediately began bonding with MSU’s receivers, including Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor, whom he helped mold into NFL players. Hawkins spent 2021-22 working with Keon Coleman, who boasted the Buffalo Bills’ second-highest receiving yardage total (556) as a rookie last season.
In 2022, MSU’s receivers combined to rank fifth in the Big Ten in yards per game (244) and touchdown catches (23).
For all Hawkins did for the program, however, there was no guarantee his tenure would continue when Smith was hired in November of 2023. Usually, new coaches do not keep members of the previous staff. After a tense 16 days, however, Smith announced that Hawkins would be his receivers coach.
“I want to stress that I was not retained by Coach Smith but hired by him, because I was one of about seven candidates for the job,” Hawkins said. “I went through a thorough hiring process, involving three interviews. During the third interview, we discussed the direction of the program, who I am and who he is.”
Hawkins was formally hired after that.
“I think how I had proven myself, my rapport with the players and the knowledge and experience I bring were all factors in me still being here,” he said.
Hawkins still hears regularly from his NFL players. “They text or call to talk football and life in general,” he said. “They know they can ask about anything and I’ll give it to them straight, not tell them what they want to hear. I’ll ask about what drills they are running in practice to increase my coaching knowledge, and they will say things like, ‘Coach, the NFL is just like you said it would be’.”
