Jeremy Hawkins was elevated to the assistant head coach in January 2025. Previously, he served as the defensive line coach for the Panthers during the 2024 season.
Hawkins joined the Georgia State staff as defensive line coach in 2024 from Eastern Kentucky, where he spent the last four seasons as defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator. He previously worked on the staffs at Mercer, LSU and UAB.
In 2021, Hawkins was named to the AFCA's 35 Under 35 list.
He helped EKU to back-to-back winning seasons in 2021-22, including a berth in the 2022 NCAA FCS Playoffs.
In 2021, Hawkins oversaw a defensive line that helped rank 15th nationally in red-zone defense while leading the conference with 22 sacks and 66 tackles for loss. Four defensive linemen garnered All-ASUN recognition.
Hawkins went to EKU in 2020 after one season (2019) as the defensive line coach at Mercer and one year at LSU, where he served as the assistant director of player personnel during the 2018 season, helping the Tigers to a 10-3 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.
From 2015-17, he was assistant defensive line coach and director of player personnel at UAB, and in his final season, the Blazers went 8-5 and earned a spot in the Bahamas Bowl.
Hawkins was the head coach and defensive coordinator at Middle Georgia State College in 2014, following a two-year stint (2012-13) as the defensive line coach at Dublin (Ga.) High School. He began his college coaching career in 2011 as the running backs and tight ends coach at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Hawkins was a four-year letter winner at Troy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sports and fitness management in 2009 and a master’s degree in sports administration in 2014. As a player, he helped the Trojans reach three bowl games and then went on to play one year of Arena Football for the Iowa Bandits.
