There's a reason Michigan State wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins was the only assistant coach under former head coach Mel Tucker to be retained by new head coach Jonathan Smith.
Hawkins had to go through an extensive interview process with Smith to make sure both coaches were on the same page about the Spartans' vision and expectations for football, but only four college coaches had to go through an extensive interview process with Smith. Hawkins' track record of success in the season was too much. Smith ignores it.
Hawkins was hired as part of Tucker's first staff in 2020 after a 14-year career as head coach at Beecher High School. Hawkins himself was an All-Big Ten selection at Michigan State University in the late '80s and early '90s. He has proven to be able to identify high school talent and develop that talent into NFL draft picks.
Hawkins helped make Jalen “Speedy” Naylor a sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and helped develop Jaden Reed into a second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers last year. contributed to. During his rookie season, Reid set the Packers' rookie season receiving record with 64 catches for 793 yards and eight touchdowns.
“To observe him [Reed] Start your rookie year and do what you need to do. [he’s done]”I feel like a proud father,” Hawkins told reporters Thursday. “I watched him as much as I could, texted back and forth, called him. So it's always great to see players that you feel like you've put your heart and soul into.”
Hawkins wasn't surprised by Reid's rapid success in the NFL. The 54-year-old coach told pro scouts what would happen when Reed was going through the pre-draft process last spring.
“I told the players, when the scouts got here, when he went to the Senior Bowl, I said, 'He's going to go out there and beat some guys.' '' Hawkins said. “If I had my phone, I'd show you some of the texts I got from some of the players who were watching him. They said, 'Coach Hawk, you were right. He's here. I was like, “I'm putting on a show.''
Hawkins is looking forward to watching two more former players play on Sunday as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches. Former Michigan State receiver Keon Coleman, who transferred to Florida State, and graduate Tre Mosley.
“I'm excited about 'Big 0'. He'll be drafted here soon,” Hawkins said of Coleman. “I hope my man training is like that. [Mosley] — Amazing ball skills, great player — I feel like he's going to get an opportunity somewhere. I mean, it really feels good when a man gets developed here. I know what it takes to get players to get to that level and perform at that level. I'm so proud of them. ”
Coleman left Michigan State to finish his career at Florida State, but he maintains a strong relationship with the star receiver, who returned to campus for MSU men's basketball's “Senior Day” last month, Hawkins said. he said.
“He was here. We sat there for two hours,” Hawkins said. “We just talked the other day. You know, he made a business decision. But we have a relationship that's bigger than the business of college football right now. It's completely different. We took advantage of what we thought was best, but from a coach and player perspective, we [tight].
“He gets on the phone and asks, 'Should I do this or should I do that?' We're going through this process right now with the whole draft coming up. I mean, we have a great relationship, but I also His biggest fans will sit in front of the TV and say, 'You've got to take my man.' ”
Hawkins is already working on developing future professionals, with players like Montrey Foster Jr., Jaron Glover and Antonio Gates Jr. waiting on his side. Hawkins also just added a young stud in 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman Nick Marsh, who is poised for a promising career with the Spartans.
East Lansing has work to do to get Michigan State back to the Big Ten and near the top of the sports world, but the Spartans' future at the wide receiver position looks promising with Hawkins leading the way.
The Michigan State Spartan Football “Spring Showcase” will be held on April 20, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Spartan Stadium, High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation.
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