Cody Hawkins was named the 20th Head Coach of the Idaho State football program in the winter of 2022. 

2024 saw a marked improvement in the Bengal program. Picked 10th in the Big Sky preseason poll, Hawkins led the Bengals to a 5-7 overall record and a 6th-place finish in the Big Sky Conference, the highest win total for the Bengals since the 2018 season. 

On November 9, 2024 Cody Hawkins led the Bengals to a 43-35 win over Weber State in Ogden and bring the Train Bell Trophy back to Pocatello. Hawkins became the first ISU Head Coach to win in Ogden since Jim Koetter in the 1984 season. 

Under Hawkins, the Bengals earned seven Player of the Week awards, five coming from Bengal kickers Ross Bolger and Gabe Panikowski. The Bengals finished the 2024 season with one of the top kicking squads in the nation. Panikowski finished perfect on the year in field goals and was named a first-team All-American and the recipient of the Fred Mitchell Outstanding place-kicker award. 

Hawkins also coached two of the top receivers in the Big Sky in the 2024 season. Jeff Weimer and Christian Fredericksen were both named 1st team all-conference for their efforts during the season. Weimer became just the 9th Bengal receiver in program history with over 1,000 receiving yards, ending the season with 1,016. Fredericksen was also on track to pass the 1,000 mark before being sidelined for the final game of the season with a lower-body injury.  

Idaho state finished the 2024 season a top-10 passing offense in the nation averaging 298.4 yards per game. 15th in the nation in total offense at 427.9 yards per game, T-9th in 4th down conversion percentage at .333 and 13th in the nation in first down offense. On special teams, the Bengals finished 14th in the nation in net punting. The Bengal offensive line finished the season number 6 in the nation in sacks allowed  with only .83 allowed per game and number 7 in tackles for loss allowed. 

His first year at the helm of the Bengal program 2023, Hawkins finished 3-8, with a 42-41 win over #22 Eastern Washington. 

During the regular season, the Idaho State Bengals held the No. 1 passing offense in the FCS 330.1 passing yards per game. The Bengal passing game was led by first-team All-Big Sky, and Walter Payton Award Finalist wide receiver Chedon James. James finished the 2023 season with 1,045 receiving yards, 7th best all-time in Idaho Staste team history. 

Hawkins also earned two other all-conference nods in 2023. Bengal lineback Calvin Pitcher was named 2nd team all-Big Sky and Defensive Lineman David Rowe was named honorable mention.

Hawkins came to the Bengals after serving five seasons as a member of the UC Davis Aggie coaching staff, and three years as the offensive coordinator. He brought an extensive and successful coaching career at the youth, high school, collegiate, professional and international levels prior to his arrival at UC Davis in 2017.

Hawkins also brings an extensive knowledge of the game after learning from Washington head coach Chris Petersen, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Texas head coach Tom Herman, former Boise State head coach Dirk Koetter, and former Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman.

Hawkins began his coaching journey at UC Davis as a volunteer assistant but was elevated to the position of Assistant Director of Football Operations and Recruiting following the team’s historic 2018 season. Under his guidance, Aggie wideouts played a crucial role in the team's success, helping UC Davis ranking third nationally in passing offense and eighth in scoring offense.

Said current UC Davis Head Coach Tim Plough, "Cody was instrumental to the team's success during the 2017 season. He has a great knowledge of the game, and more importantly, cares about developing young men off the field by creating a successful culture. I'm very happy for him and excited to see him put his spin on this talented group of wide receivers, and our offense as a whole."

That year, UC Davis finished as the top offense in the Big Sky Conference, which helped the Aggies set 46 new Big Sky-era records, faced more ranked teams (or teams receiving votes) since joining the league, won five games against Division I competition, equal to the combined total from the previous three seasons, and won five Big Sky Player of the Week awards, matching the total from the last four years.

Junior organizational studies major Keelan Doss highlighted UC Davis' receiving group by ending his season with 115 receptions, 10.5 receptions per game and 136.3 receiving yards, top numbers among all players at the FBS and Football Championship Subdivision levels when the Aggies' season ended. Doss, the Big Sky's Offensive Player of the Year and finalist for the Walter Payton Award which is presented to the most outstanding offensive player in the nation, also led all FCS players with 1,499 receiving yards.

Hawkins joined UC Davis after leading Los Angeles Valley College to its best record in school history (11-0), a conference and state championship at its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Under his tutelage, LAVC averaged 43.3 points per game, with numerous players continuing their playing career at the Division I level.

Team USA also experienced a similar level of offensive success and averaged 54 points a game throughout Hawkins' career as its quarterback coach and play caller.

Prior to his tenure with the National Team, Hawkins led Westview High School's offense as its coordinator, and helped develop Ohio State's wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks.

At WHS (Beaverton, Ore.), Hawkins helped it earned its first playoff appearance in seven years thanks to a new offensive system that he installed. Thanks to his coaching, the team experienced a deep postseason run after leading all Oregon high schools with 3,254 passing yards, in addition to its 36 passing touchdowns.

As a member of the Buckeyes' football staff, Hawkins assisted with the mental and physical development of its offensive players, developed a comprehensive social media strategy, and content, as part of the program's elite recruiting process.

Hawkins' coaching career began in 2011 as a player/coach for the Stockholm Mean Machines, the country's oldest and most successful football organization. When he returned the U.S., he led Bishop Kelly High School (Boise, Idaho), to a 9-2 record and a berth in the state semifinals. That season, the Knights' offense enjoyed one of its most prolific seasons in school history by scoring a conference-high 42 points per game.

Success earned by those teams lead to an opportunity to coach elite quarterbacks from across the country as the quarterback coach for Elite 11/The Opening, where he became the only quarterback in the history of Nike's program to attend as an invitee, college counselor and coach.

It was this experience that led to his opportunity at Ohio State.

An elite quarterback himself, Hawkins compiled a 40-0 record as a starter at Bishop Kelly High School. In addition to leading his school to consecutive state championships, he earned Idaho Statesman State Player of the Year (2004 and 2005) and Gatorade Player of the Year (2005) accolades before continuing his playing career at Colorado.

While competing for the Buffaloes, he earned the Kordell Stewart Career Achievement Award, the Eddie Crowder Award for outstanding leadership twice, and the Derek Singleton Award (leadership, enthusiasm and dedication) on three occasions