If there were any doubt about how Cody Hawkins feels about his football coaching position at Idaho State, those doubts should be gone after he formally signed a contract extension that doesn’t give him a raise — just a longer commitment to ISU and Pocatello.
As the Journal reported in March, ISU submitted a request to the State Board of Education to add a year to Hawkins’ contract, extending it out to five years. The board approved the request at its April meeting, and on Tuesday, ISU announced the new contract is signed, sealed and delivered.
As noted in the March story, Hawkins won’t be seeing a raise in salary, in deference to the difficult budget situation on campus, which resulted in the elimination of 45 jobs at ISU earlier this year. His base salary will remain at $220,000.
But Hawkins is pleased to add a year to his contract, which now runs through 2031.
“I love being here and the opportunity to extend another year is an easy one,” Hawkins said. “With young kids and positive momentum, I want to make sure the program and my family have as much stability as possible. I love what we are building.”
Hawkins added that Pocatello and southeastern Idaho have been great to him and his family, as have ISU President Robert Wagner and Athletic Director Pauline Thiros.
“I appreciate the opportunity that Thiros and Wagner have provided me and I want them to feel like their faith and efforts are reciprocated in words and action,” Hawkins said.
Thiros hired Hawkins in December of 2022, following Charlie Ragle’s resignation after one season and a 1-10 record, to take a position as an assistant coach at Arizona State. Hawkins has steadily improved the program in his three seasons at the helm, taking ISU to a 3-8 mark his first year, 5-7 his second and then 6-6 last season, winning his last four games and finishing 5-3 in the Big Sky Conference. ISU’s fourth-place finish in conference play was its best since 2018.
The Bengals upset No. 6-ranked UC Davis on the road, and won both their rivalry games over Weber State and Idaho last year.
He and his staff have also restored the Bengals’ “Throwin’ Idahoans” reputation, leading the conference in total offense and passing offense last season, and giving up the fewest sacks of any FCS team in the nation.
The contract extension resets Hawkins’ buyout should he decide to leave Pocatello, adding another year of a $100,000 buyout. It decreases each year after the first two years of the contract.
“Anytime I can extend Cody’s contract, I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity,” Thiros told the Journal in March.
“In just three seasons, he has built a program that competes with confidence, develops outstanding young men and makes our university proud,” Thiros said in an ISU release on Tuesday. “The team is performing at a very high level relative to the game, as well as academically. The momentum surrounding Bengal football is real, and the future is bright and exciting.”
The Bengals are currently engaged in summer workouts, which will extend over an eight-week period. Fall camp begins July 28, and ISU will open the season by hosting VMI in the ICCU Dome Aug. 29.