Head Coach Dan Hawkins Has Resigned from UC Davis

[BlueGoldAg]

After seven seasons and six consecutive winning campaigns, UC Davis football coach Dan Hawkins has resigned to spend more time with family, including his grandchildren in Idaho, The Sacramento Bee has learned.

Sources told The Bee that UC Davis has interest in negotiating with Tim Plough to become the 18th coach in the 108-year history of the football program, and he would be a familiar face. A tight ends coach at Cal, Plough is a one-time Aggies quarterback who had two assistant coaching stints with UC Davis, the second one under Hawkins.

UC Davis athletic director Rocko DeLuca told The Bee by phone after a flight to Southern California for conference meetings that he has not had “any conversations with any candidates but will be doing so at the end of the week.”

He would not confirm or deny that Plough might be high on the list. “It’s an open search,” DeLuca said.

“We have a great tradition with UC Davis football and Hawk has done a great job elevating the program. Our goal is to find someone to take the ball from the fullback and keep going forward. We’ll have interest in the position. We’re one of the top FCS programs in the country and we’re not backing down from our goal of winning championships and national championships.

“We’re going to move as fast as we can, but also take the time to make sure.”

Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/sports/college/article282395243.html#storylink=cpy

Wow...I'm shocked to tell the truth. Like all Aggie fans, I didn't see this coming at all but I certainly understand his longing to spend more time with his family and grandchildren.

Hawk is a very wise and deeply philosophical man who often talks about the Hero's Journey with his team and the media and he walks the talk. He fully understands what things are truly the most important priorities in life. I'm glad we had him for 7 years and wish him the best going forward on his own Hero's Journey.

If you can not access the article from the Sacramento Bee, you can read the whole article here: https://news.yahoo.com/sources-uc-davis-football-coach-180738947.html

[Silenoz]

Interesting, wasn't coaching against his own son a form of family time? xlolx

[BlueGoldAg]

Interesting, wasn't coaching against his own son a form of family time? xlolx

Regarding coaching against his son this year, Hawkins had this to say:


Hawkins said at the end of the regular season that coaching against his son in a Big Sky Conference game on Nov. 11, a 21-14 Aggies victory, was the most difficult and emotional game he has coached in his 40 years on a sideline. In the week leading up to the game, and after, father and son said they are each other’s best friends.

Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/sports/college/article282395243.html#storylink=cpy

[caribbeanhen]

Just goes to show you that coaching Just ain’t that fun anymore.

Young mans game

[Go Green]

I'd imagine that they'd also look at Dartmouth OC (and UC Davis grad) Kevin Daft.

[BlueGoldAg]

Just goes to show you that coaching Just ain’t that fun anymore.

Young mans game

I think that's true. In a recent press conference Hawkins commented on the big changes that have swept over college sports recently such as teams jumping from one conference to another as they chase more money without regard for the other conference teams they leave behind and not caring about the rich, conference history that they are leaving behind either and players using the transfer portal to sometimes play for 3 or 4 different colleges and teams luring players away with promises of big NIL money for them.

He said he is very concerned that college football is headed in a direction where the only thing that matters is more money and winning at any cost and where the life values and lessons that players can learn from the game are now getting lost as the emphasis on nothing but winning and money permeates the sport. He also feels that values like player loyalty to their schools and to their teammates are getting lost as they pursue the transfer portal again and again chasing a better deal for themselves. So, yes, I think maybe Hawkins has seen enough to know that it's time to leave the game and spend much more time with his family.

[caribbeanhen]

I think that's true. In a recent press conference Hawkins commented on the big changes that have swept over college sports recently such as teams jumping from one conference to another as they chase more money without regard for the other conference teams they leave behind and not caring about the rich, conference history that they are leaving behind either and players using the transfer portal to sometimes play for 3 or 4 different colleges and teams luring players away with promises of big NIL money for them.

He said he is very concerned about college football is headed in a direction where the only thing that matters is more money and winning at any cost and where the life values and lessons that players can learn from the game are now getting lost as the emphasis on nothing but winning and money permeates the sport. He also feels that values like player loyalty to their schools and to their teammates are getting lost as they pursue the transfer portal again and again chasing a better deal for themselves. So, yes, I think maybe Hawkins has seen enough to know that it's time to leave the game and spend much more time with his family.

Thank you for that outstanding recap

Over the years I’ve watched several UC Davis games and always made sure it was a home game…. I wish they all could be California girls

[Redbird 4th & short]

I think that's true. In a recent press conference Hawkins commented on the big changes that have swept over college sports recently such as teams jumping from one conference to another as they chase more money without regard for the other conference teams they leave behind and not caring about the rich, conference history that they are leaving behind either and players using the transfer portal to sometimes play for 3 or 4 different colleges and teams luring players away with promises of big NIL money for them.

He said he is very concerned about college football is headed in a direction where the only thing that matters is more money and winning at any cost and where the life values and lessons that players can learn from the game are now getting lost as the emphasis on nothing but winning and money permeates the sport. He also feels that values like player loyalty to their schools and to their teammates are getting lost as they pursue the transfer portal again and again chasing a better deal for themselves. So, yes, I think maybe Hawkins has seen enough to know that it's time to leave the game and spend much more time with his family.

This !!!

[Franks Tanks]

Sorry to see that college football is losing a good one. Maybe he’ll make his way back to TV? He was enjoyable on play by play.

[BlueGoldAg]

It looks like Hawkins will stay on in an advisory role to Aggie football:


"I was honored to carry Aggie football forward and now will hand off to another," Hawkins said. "This is not a retirement or stepping aside from being involved with Aggie Athletics. Rocko is allowing me to stay on board as a special assistant. I've got plenty of juice and life left in me to help the Aggies, and embrace any other adventures that lie ahead. I will continue to pursue my life's passion of making a positive difference in the lives of others. The journey continues!"

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2023/11/28/dan-hawkins-stepping-down-as-aggie-head-football-coach.aspx

[BlueGoldAg]

Thank you for that outstanding recap

Over the years I’ve watched several UC Davis games and always made sure it was a home game…. I wish they all could be California girls

😂 I know just what you are talking about.

I was discharged from the service in California and the Beach Boys were singing about California Girls at the time. After growing up in a small town in Indiana, that song was enough for me to stay in California and see what those California Girls were all about and, yep, the Beach Boys knew what they were singing about! Those California girls were just what I was looking for. Funny thing, though, I ended up marrying a girl from Michigan who had made her way to California and we're still here.

[caribbeanhen]

 I know just what you are talking about.

I was discharged from the service in California and the Beach Boys were singing about California Girls at the time. After growing up in a small town in Indiana, that song was enough for me to stay in California and see what those California Girls were all about and, yep, the Beach Boys knew what they were singing about! Those California girls were just what I was looking for. Funny thing, though, I ended up marrying a girl from Michigan who had made her way to California and we're still here.

Congratulations!!

[BlueGoldAg]

The last two seasons, while successful, ended in bitter disappointment when UCD was denied playoff bids both times.The lack of a bid after the just-completed 2023 season was especially disappointing, given that Sac State was selected despite having just lost to the Aggies.
"I thought we were in, but I was wrong," said Hawkins at the time.
"My dad told me that life's not fair, and neither is football, so that was something that was out of our control."


At last week's football banquet to conclude the 2023 season, Hawkins told his players, "Sometimes life throws you a curveball, but you have to deal with it and make something positive out of it. Everything happens for a reason, so find that reason. Get up in the morning, put your boots on and start walking."

https://www.davisenterprise.com/news/hawkins-steps-down-as-aggie-football-coach/article_727c5c44-8e4c-11ee-860b-1384b37691bc.html

[BlueGoldAg]

Today's press conference with Dan Hawkins. Hawk was his usual self: always entertaining, humble and philosophical. The Aggie players and fans alike have been so fortunate to have him at the helm of the Aggies for the past 7 years.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbJ7n1oHhr0

[BlueGoldAg]

More speculation that former Aggie QB and current TE coach at Cal, Tim Plough, will be the next head coach at UC Davis:


--It was reported earlier this week that Dan Hawkins, the head coach at UC-Davis and the father of Bengal head coach Cody Hawkins, was stepping down from his coaching post. Rumors began circulating that Cody Hawkins was applying for the head coaching job at Davis, where he assisted his father as offensive coordinator before he came to Idaho State this time last year. Cody flatly denied interest in the UC Davis job, which is widely expected to go to former Davis assistant Tim Plough.


“I haven’t,” Cody Hawkins said when asked if he applied for the Davis job. “100 percent I haven’t. I didn’t even think about it. I’ve known for years that as soon as my dad retired, Plough was going to be the head coach. That’s part of the reason I came here, because I love Plough and respect him, and I knew whether it was one year, four years or five years, Plough was going to be the head coach. He deserves to be the head coach there.”

This is from an excellent article published in the Idaho State Journal about Idaho State's head coach Cody Hawkins and his evaluation of his first year at ISU and what he hopes to achieve in the next few years with the program.

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/local/column-rumors-aside-hawkins-not-going-back-to-california/article_f669fed4-8fb0-11ee-b9b6-9b4b7082155d.html