Ashawnte Hawkins took over the reins of the Life University women's basketball program in the summer of 2022. In her first year, the Running Eagles joined the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), finishing the season with a .500 record.
In only her second season, Hawkins coached the team to 19-9 overall record, climbing the ranks within the SSAC, finishing 5th in after being picked 8th in the preseason polls.
Hawkins, 10 years of collegiate college coaching experience across NCAA and NAIA, has had stops at Talladega College, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State University San Bernardino and now Life University.
Before landing her first head coaching job at Life, Hawkins first began her college coaching career at Talladega College as the Associate Head Coach, molding the Tornados into a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference powerhouse. In her time with the Tornadoes, she helped the program to a 60–28 record and coached two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017.
While at Talladega, she helped lead the team to consecutive GCAC regular season championships in 2016 and 2017, as well as the first GCAC Tournament Championship in program history with their big win against yearly national ranked contender Xavier University of New Orleans.
Additionally, Hawkins' teams were consistently ranked in the NAIA Coaches' Polls and finished ranked 24th in 2017. In fact, in the 2015-16 season, the Tornadoes were ranked for seven consecutive weeks, topping out at 14th, and finishing the season ranked 15th. In the last two seasons, her squads finished with a combined record of 45-15, with a conference record of 22-2.
Hawkins played her final two seasons of collegiate ball at Talladega, making 33 starts and 59 appearances over the 2012–13 and 2013–14 campaigns, winning a GCAC conference championship and NAIA National Tournament contender.
A California native, Hawkins prepped at Canyon Springs High School before transferring to Mt. SAC, where she helped the Mounties win the 2012 California Juco State Title. Her layup at the buzzer versus East L.A. College sent Mt. SAC to the Final Four, where she eventually earned all–tournament team honors while leading the Mounties to the CCCAA state championship.
Off the court , Hawkins has guided her program to the highest team GPA in Life University women’s basketball history finishing with a 3.4 consecutive team GPA for all of 2024-2025 school year.
Hawkins has a strong background in player development, defensive strategy, and recruiting. She aided in the development of top-tier talent—including All-Americans and overseas-bound athletes. While at Life U, she has consistently developed elite talent, with her players earning multiple SSAC end-of-season awards, including Player of the Year, New Comer of the Year, 6th Women of the Year. She has also seen additional players recognized on the First and Second team all-conference team and had dozens of all-academic team award recipients.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Talladega College and a Master of Science in Sports Psychology from Capella University. She is an active member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and a frequent volunteer in community outreach and youth mentorship programs. She is driven by a passion to elevate and mentor young women through the game of basketball. Hawkins coaching philosophy centers on preparation, discipline, and holistic development—ensuring her players are prepared for LIFE.
Above all, Hawkins greatest role is being a mother to her daughter, Zhuri Smith-Hawkins. Her commitment to coaching is fueled by a desire to lead by example—instilling values of discipline, strength, and purpose both at home, within the community, and within her teams. She believes in developing student-athletes not just for the game, but for life beyond the court.
