In part one of this two-part conversation, host Matt Daily welcomes Idaho State University head football coach Cody Hawkins to discuss how college football fits into the educational mission of a public university. Hawkins reflects on growing up in a coaching family, the mentors who taught him servant leadership, and why he now sees football as a medium for developing people.
The episode digs into the life lessons players learn that go far beyond wins and losses: taking ownership, embracing hard truths, building resilience through failure, and finding belonging in a genuine team community instead of behind a screen. Daily and Hawkins talk candidly about ISU’s dramatic Academic Progress Rate turnaround, the importance of recruiting better students, and the strict standards that now link academic accountability to playing time. The success is backed by expanded advising, tutoring, and weekly coach-student check-ins.
Throughout, Hawkins shares how he and his staff intentionally build a culture where student-athletes experience more than football games: trips to beaches and waterfalls, drum circles, shared meals, and everyday modeling of family, faith, and character. It’s a look at how Bengal football is striving to send graduates into life after the game as better students, professionals, and people.
Part I airs August 17, 2026 at 7:30 pm on KISUFM
Part II airs August 24, 2026 at 7:30 pm on KISUFM
The Bengals open their season at home at 4:00 pm on August 29, 2026. More details and the ISU Football season schedule at: https://isubengals.com/sports/football/schedule