Alleen Hawkins enters her 25th season as Head Softball Coach at Erskine, her 45th season overall.
Coach Hawkins began her coaching career in 1978 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland, where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. She went 54-13 in her four years and advanced to the Region XX Championship in her second year. Coach Hawkins was hired as the head coach at Furman University in 1982. After only four years, the Furman softball program was elevated to a Top 5 regional ranking and won the first two Southern Conference titles in 1994 and 1995. She received consecutive Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards in 1994 and 95, and received the coveted Lyles Alley Award for the most successful coach on the Furman campus in 1993. After compiling an impressive 327-242-2 record in thirteen years at Furman, Coach Hawkins received an offer to start the softball program at the University of Georgia. Coach Hawkins led the Georgia Bulldogs for 4 years, going 114-123 during that time. She left Georgia with the full intent of becoming a stay-at-home mom.
However, Erskine was in the desperate need of a new softball coach. Only twenty minutes from her home, Coach Hawkins assumed the head coaching duties at Erskine in January of 2001 going a 10-27 in her first year. The next year Coach Hawkins led the Flying Fleet to a respectable 24-33 record. More importantly, Coach Hawkins had begun to change the attitude and perception of the softball team from an extracurricular “club” program to a competitive NCAA Division II softball program. In 2011, Coach Hawkins guided the Fleet to their first ever Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship and played in their first-ever NCAA regional tournament. She was selected Coach of the Year in the Conference. During her Erskine career, she has coached numerous All-Conference Players, four freshman of the Year, three Conference Player of the Year, Two Pitcher of the Year, two All-Region, one National Pitcher of the Year, 2 Tournament MVP’s, and one NCAA All-American. In 2019 and 2021 she once again led her team to the Conference Carolinas Regular Season Championship and was selected Conference Coach of the Year by her peers both seasons.
In 2019 Erskine joined the Nation Christian College Athletic Association and the Softball program leaped into their first season of membership being ranked tied for first NATIONALLY for most of the season and were ranked first in the NCCAA power rankings for the season as well. Hawkins was selected NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year after winning the Region. The Softball team went 5-0 during the National Championship week, winning the NCCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in their first season of membership. Hawkins was then selected NCCAA National Coach of the Year and had 5 team members on the NCCAA All Region Team and 4 All Americans.
Coach Hawkins currently has 964 wins and a .510 Winning percentage.
Coach Hawkins resides on a farm outside of Belton, South Carolina, and was married to her late husband, Eddie Hawkins, for 18 years. She has three daughters, Elizabeth, Ashley and Karen who all played softball. She is also the proud grandmother of two.
Alleen Hawkins at a Glance:
1977-1981: Chesapeake College 54-13 won conference tournament in only 4 years and made school first appearance in NJCCA regionals.
1981-1982 : Kent County High School- Coaching staff but did not coach Softball. Coached Field Hockey, Basketball, Boys and Girls Tennis
1983-1995 : Furman University- Won first two ever Conference Regular season championships along with the Conference Tournament title. Voted Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1995. Ranked among all Division 1 schools as top 5 in the Southeast Region for 5 years.
1995-2000 :University of Georgia- Inaugural coach of first ever Georgia Softball team.
2001- Present: Erskine College
2007- Inducted into the Chesapeake College Athletic Hall of Fame.
2008- Coached Erskine College First ALL AMERICAN softball player.
2011- First ever Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship and made first ever NCAA Regional appearance.
2011- Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year
2018- Achieved her 900thwin during the season
2019 -Conference Carolinas Regular Season Championship-
2019 -Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year
2019- NCCAA Regional Champions
2019-NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year
2019-NCCAA National Champions
2019-NCCAA National Coach of the Year
2021- Conference Carolinas Regular Season Champions
2021- Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year
2022- Inducted into the Erskine College Athletic Hall of Fame ( Nov 2022)
