UBC Seasons: 7
Overall record: 112-69 (.619)
Conference record: 84-44 (.656)
Canada West Playoff record: 11-12
U SPORTS National Championship record: 2-1
*As of September, 2025
Mike Hawkins is entering his eighth season as UBC head coach. The Thunderbirds have been a perennial playoff team under his guidance as he continues to make his mark on the program.
2024-25:
The Thunderbirds had plenty of moments to celebrate in 2024-25. After a slightly bumpy start to the season the T-Birds ripped off a highly impressive 11-match winning streak in the middle part of the season. Their finish near the top of the regular season standings was powered by a perfect 11-0 record at home, which became 13-0 following a Canada West quarterfinal sweep over the Brandon Bobcats. That made it a second straight berth in the medal rounds of the conference playoffs, where the 'Birds faced off against some of the top volleyball programs in the country. At the Canada West Final Four in Winnipeg, the T-Birds fell just short, losing 3-2 to both Alberta and Saskatchewan in incredibly close and dramatic matches.
2023-24 was a fantastic season for the T-Birds, who made it to the U SPORTS National Championships for the first time under Hawkins. After a bit of a rocky start to the year, the ‘Birds had a stretch in the middle of the season where they won 12 of 13 games, cementing themselves as one of the top contenders in the conference and eventually finishing 4th in Canada West with a record of 16-8. Sadly, the Thunderbirds were ravaged by injuries in the final few weeks of the season, which hurt them in the Canada West playoffs. After defeating Saskatchewan in the quarterfinals, the shorthanded T-Birds where beaten by Albert in the semifinals. However, they bounced back to beat Winnipeg to win Canada West bronze and earn their spot at the national championship tournament in Kingston as the #6 seed. There, after getting a couple key players back from injury, they beat McMaster in the quarterfinals, fell to Alberta again in the semifinals, and defeated hosts Queen’s to win U SPORTS bronze.
The UBC Thunderbirds returned to a full schedule in 2022-23 and opened their season with a 5-1 start. Despite injuries and challenging travel, UBC's depth and talent were able to rise to the occasion and the 'Birds captured eight victories in their final 11 games which kept them within striking distance of a Top 4 spot in the Canada West standings. Unfortunately, the 'Birds fell just short of that mark, and opened the Canada West playoffs as the #5 seed against the Saskatchewan Huskies. With a healthy roster finally in tow, the 'Birds kicked off their quarterfinal series with a convincing 3-0 victory in Game 1. One day later, the Huskies erased a 2-1 deficit and earned a five-set victory to tie the series. UBC showed no quit in the decisive Game 3, erasing a 2-0 deficit to force a decisive fifth set. The home Huskies prevailed, however, and UBC's season came to an emotional end.
In his fourth season as Head Coach, Hawkins led his team to an overall record of 12-8 and a conference record of 10-6. Key weekends came against the TRU Wolfpack and UBC-Okanagan, where the T-Birds swept both matchups on January 14-15th, and February 19-20th.
The T-Birds found their groove as they strung together five straight wins towards the end of the season, but were then defeated in the opening weekend of the Canada West Playoffs. After dropping their opener to the Saskatchewan Huskies 2-3, they bounced back and defeated the UFV Cascades 3-1 but were then bested by the Alberta Bears 1-3.
Matt Neaves was named a Canada West 1st Team All-Star, Mike Dowhaniuk was awarded CW 2nd Team All-Star honours, while Mason Greves made the All-Rookie team.
An impressive 2019-2020 season saw the Thunderbirds finished third in the Canada West regular season standings with a 17-5 record before falling to Alberta in a deciding third match of the Canada West semifinal.
Two second-year T-Birds earned Canada West All-Star nods in 2019-2020 – Matt Neaves was named to the first team, while Michael Dowhaniuk was named to the second team.
In Hawkins' debut campaign with UBC, a young Thunderbirds squad showed consistent improvement in going 11-11 in Canada West regular season play, advancing to the league quarter-finals.
Rookie Michael Dowhaniuk was named a second-team Canada West All-Star in 2018-2019, and earned spots on the Canada West and U SPORTS All-Rookie teams.
Hawkins replaced Kerry MacDonald in 2018, who joined Volleyball Canada as its new Director of Sport Science, Medicine, and Information.
Hawkins, from Lethbridge, Alta., has a wealth of coaching experience. He served as the full-time assistant coach with UBC Okanagan two years ago, and was the interim head coach at his alma mater, Thompson Rivers, during the 2016-17 campaign. Before heading back to TRU, Hawkins coached two seasons at Lethbridge College of the Alberta College Athletic Conference, serving as an assistant in 2014-15 before taking the head role the next year.
He began his coaching career after his playing days as a setter concluded at TRU. Hawkins was an assistant for two years with the WolfPack men’s team before also taking on a similar role with the TRU women’s squad in the latter part of his final year in Kamloops, B.C.
Hawkins is a rising star on the national coaching stage as he was an assistant to MacDonald on Canada’s youth national team before taking over head coaching duties in 2020 and 2021.
