Dan Hawkins has stepped down as the head coach at UC Davis, the school announced Tuesday. He steps down to pursue interests outside of football and spend more time with his family, but will remain involved as a special assistant to the program.
A former UC Davis fullback, Hawkins began his coaching career at UCD in 1983, and now ends it there 40 years later.
In between, he served as the head coach at Williamette, Boise State, Colorado, of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and of the United States National Team in the 2015 IFAF world chamionships, where we defeated Japan 59-12 in the gold medal game.
In all, Hawkins went 156-92-1 with seven conference championships as a collegiate head coach, including a 44-31 run at his alma mater from 2017-23. His 2018 team went 10-3, won the Big Sky Conference and reached the FCS quarterfinals. UC Davis also reached the FCS playoffs in 2021, and in 2023 the Aggies posted a 7-4 mark.
He exits UC Davis as the third-winningest coach in program history.
"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!"
"Dan has led our football program to great heights during the last seven years," says AD Rocko DeLuca. "He has had a lasting impact on the entire program, including all the student-athletes he has ever coached. We are indebted to him for his years of dedication and passion for the Aggies, and excited to see what this well-earned and well-deserved next chapter brings."
Hawkins's son, Cody, played quarterback for him at Colorado and recently completed his first season as the head coach at Idaho State. He and his wife of 41 years, Misti Rae Ann, have three other grown children as well.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.