When the McIntosh High boys basketball team tips off its season, it will be with a new face at the helm. Marcus Hawkins is the new head coach for the Chiefs.

Hawkins replaces Jason Eisele who retired as the team’s coach after two decades. He brings with him a track record of success across multiple schools, most recently as the girls coach at Berkmar High. Hawkins is one of just two coaches in the state of Florida to win both a girls and boys state basketball championship.

He cut his teeth playing where he grew up in Madison County, Florida. His dad played through college and even a bit of semi-pro ball, so it was natural to make his own way to the hardcourt.

“Basketball was what I loved,” he said.

His skills earned him the opportunity to play collegiately at the University of North Georgia. It was there that he also found his future, shaped by his coach Randy Dunn. They bonded over conversations outside of basketball, talking about life and leadership.

“He was a coach that it was more than Xs and Os,” said Hawkins. “He was a life guy. He saw things differently.”

After Hawkins graduated from college, he immediately jumped into coaching, returning home to Madison.

“For me, that was the extra motivation. You can do this. This is what you can do for the next generation,” he told himself.

He carries that forward, putting relationships at the forefront of his coaching philosophy. He still talks to players he coached a decade ago, taking pride in being another father figure away from home.

“Basketball for me is a ministry, so relationships are important. It is the top thing for me outside of teaching.”

He aims to mold a Chiefs team built on pace and pressure. They’ll play fast on offense, and they’ll make the other team work for every bucket.

“I love high tempo. I love pressure defensively.”

At the start of June, the team was struggling to score points. By the end of the month, he estimates they were averaging 50 points a game, well more than double the early games.

“Guys began to get a little more comfortable in what we’re asking them to do. They found themselves and were playing better defensively,” he said. “For me, that was a great summer.”

It reenforces what he felt when he first applied for the McIntosh job. He was drawn to the facilities, administration, and academic excellence that surrounds the program.

“This is a wonderful fit,” he said. “I really want to be here.”