Ashawnte Hawkins joined Casandra Renno's staff for the 2021–2022 season after spending the last three seasons as the top assistant at Life University in Marietta, Ga.
Before her three seasons at Life, Hawkins spent three years in Talladega College, where she spent three years molding the Tornados into a Gulf Coast Athletic conference power. 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.
Additionally, 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.
While at Talladega, 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.
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 honors while leading the Mounties to the championship.
