UK Athletics
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KristenHawkins
- title Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting
- Kristen Hawkins joined the Kentucky football program in 2021 as the assistant director of on-campus recruiting.
- In her role, she handles all aspects of planning unofficial and official visits, manages recruiting databases and recruiting documentations/plans.
- With Hawkins’ help, UK’s 2022 recruiting class ranked in the top 10 nationally by Rivals. It marked UK’s highest-rated class in available history of recruiting rankings.
- Hawkins began her career in recruiting in 2017 at her alma mater, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- From 2017-18, she helped plan unofficial and official visits and worked with compliance to make sure all activities followed NCAA and conference guidelines.
- In 2020, her career took a slight detour when she moved to West Monroe, La., to become the head cheerleading coach at West Monroe High School.
- After two seasons, she moved to Richmond, Ky. with husband, Jeremey Hawkins, who accepted an assistant coaching position with Eastern Kentucky University.
- It was a natural move for her to serve as an intern in the Colonels’ football recruiting office, a role she held one season.
- While serving as an intern, she also worked as an instructor with the University Cheerleading Association and an assistant cheer coach for the All-Girl squad at EKU, roles she still holds today.
- Under her tutelage in 2021, EKU won the Division 1 All-Girl National Championship, the school’s first cheerleading national championship.
- The Birmingham native earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and Bachelor of Arts degree in English from UAB in 2018, while also competing four seasons (2013-17) as a varsity cheerleader.
- Earned a master’s degree in sports administration from EKU in 2021.
- She and her husband, currently the defensive line coach and run game coordinator for defense at EKU, have two children, Abigail and Aiden.
- The couple resides in Richmond, Ky.