Northwest Nazarene University Men's Basketball

Biography Jon Hawkins begins his third season as head coach of NNU men's basketball in 2025-26. Hawkins has seen strong success in his two years at the helm, posting a 37-18 overall record and 26-10 GNAC mark while finishing second in the GNAC regular season standings both seasons.  Hawkins led the Nighthawks to one of their best seasons in the program's Division II history in 2024-25, winning 20 games (20-8 overall) for just the second time since joining DII prior to the 2001-02 year. NNU also earned an at-large berth to the NCAA West Regional, the third NCAA bid in the last five seasons for the program. The Nighthawks were incredibly tough at home, going 14-1 overall and 9-0 in conference play in the Johnson Sports Center. Kye Dickson led the GNAC in scoring, and was named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year and a consensus All-Region selection. Hawkins also had three other players earn Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors in Biggie Bergersen, Briggs Ranstrom, and Yaru Harvey, who was also named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. During the 2023-24 season, Hawkins led the Nighthawks to a 17-10 overall record and second-place in the GNAC at 13-5, the best conference mark since NNU joined Division II. NNU defeated nationally ranked Saint Martin’s twice, as well as handing GNAC regular season champion Montana State Billings their only home loss in conference play. Hawkins also had three players named to All-GNAC squads. After eight seasons as an assistant coach, Jon Hawkins was named the 19th head men's basketball coach in Northwest Nazarene history in the summer of 2023. During his eight seasons as a coach dating back to the 2015-16 season, the Nighthawks compiled an overall record of 108-93, including a 75-48 mark over the last five seasons. The Nighthawks were especially tough at home, going 50-19 (.725) in games played at the Johnson Sports Center during that stretch. During his time as an assistant and associate head coach, the Nighthawks qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice (with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2020-21) and won the GNAC Championship in 2022-23. In 2020, Hawkins was named to the Silver Wave’s Media 50 Impactful NCAA DII Assistant Coach list. In two seasons as a student-athlete at NNU, Hawkins averaged 11.2 points per game, dished out 182 assists and led all NCAA Division II players with a 94.1 free-throw shooting percentage in the 2012-13 season. Before rejoining the NNU family in 2015, Hawkins played in the Gold Coast’s Intensity Super League, one of the top summer leagues in Australia. He then toured with Athletes in Action to Israel after playing half a season in the top league in Latvia for Jurmalas-Fenikss. Hawkins and his wife, Savanah, live in Nampa with their three children.   Year-by-Year Year Overall Pct. GNAC Pct. Postseason 2 Seasons 37-18 .673 26-10 .722 2 GNAC Tourney Appearances, 1 NCAA Regional Appearance 2023-24 17-10 .630 13-5 .722 GNAC Semifinals 2024-25 20-8 .714 13-5 .722 GNAC Semifinals, NCAA West Regional First Round  

Hawkins joined the Crusader staff in the summer of 2015 after spending a season in Australia coaching and playing professionally. The 2013 NNU graduate returns to his alma mater after playing in 51 games during two seasons for the Crusaders. The NNU point guard averaged 11.2 points per game, dished out 182 assists and led all NCAA Division II players with a 94.1 free-throw shooting percentage in the 2012-13 season. Prior to his time in Australia, where he combined playing pro ball with ministry, he played professionally in Latvia and also toured with Athletes in Action.

Chris Dendinger enters his second season with the Northwest Nazarene men's basketball coaching staff in to the 2025-26 year. In the fall of 2025, he was promoted to Associate Head Coach. In his first season as an assistant in 2024-25, he helped the Nighthawks to their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five seasons. NNU also won 20 games for just the second time in its Division II history (since 2001-02). Chris was Colorado Christian’s Associate Head Coach last season after three years as an assistant. While there, he coached seven All-RMAC players and the team improved their wins total each year.   Prior to CCU, he was a graduate assistant coach at Oral Roberts University from 2018-20, coaching one First Team All-Conference player, two Second Team All-Conference players, and one conference Freshman of the Year.   He has also spent one year as an assistant at John Brown University (2017-18), a volunteer assistant at Cedarville University (2016-17), and a student manager at Ohio University (2014-16). Of note, Ohio was the back-to-back MAC champions during his two seasons with an NCAA Tournament berth in 2015 and NIT appearance in 2016.   Chris received his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Sciences from Ohio University and earned a Leadership MBA from Oral Roberts.   Chris and his wife, Mya, reside in Nampa, Idaho. Mya is a former Division One track and field student-athlete at Ohio University.

Levi joined the NNU men's basketball program as an assistant coach ahead of the 2024-25 year.   Levi spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at East Los Angeles College. ELAC went 48-13 over those seasons with a trip to the CCCAA Final Four, and 16 players moved on to four-year schools with scholarships (including five to NCAA DI programs).   Prior to ELAC, he spent time as an assistant women’s basketball coach at The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California. While there, his teams went 57-10 overall with final NAIA national rankings of No. 2 and No. 5. They also reached the Elite Eight of the NAIA National Tournament once.   Levi also spent time as a high school head coach at Castaic HS in the LA area, opening a program from scratch at a brand new school and earning the first varsity wins in school history.   He played four years at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and finished in the top five in school history in assists at the end of his career. He graduated from Hamline with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice with minors in Psychology and Sociology.   Levi comes to Nampa with his wife Leah and their four children, Abe, Meadow, Rowan, and Waylon.  

Andrew Anawalt enters his second year with the NNU men's basketball program as a graduate assistant coach for the 2025-26 season.    Andrew graduated in 2024 from the University of Tampa with a degree in Sport Management. While at Tampa, he served as a Student Assistant with the men’s basketball program.   The San Clemente, California native has gained experience coaching for Skyhawks Sports in South Orange County the last two summers.   Andrew also played high school basketball at Capistrano Valley Christian School and JSerra Catholic School. While at CVCS, he was a teammate of NNU men’s basketball alum Spider Adetunji ’20.  

Aaron Cufr was hired in the summer of 2025 as an Assistant Coach with the Northwest Nazarene men's basketball program.   Cufr comes to Nampa after spending the last two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.    During his time at IWU, the team went 51-16 in the two years, with an NCAA DIII Elite 8 appearance in 2024 and a Round of 32 appearance in 2025.   Prior to IWU, Cufr spent four years playing basketball at Trinity International University under head coach Greg Miller. While there, he was an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete, NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and a part of the multiple CCAC All-Academic Teams.    He graduated from Trinity International with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education in 2023, and followed that up with a Master’s of Organizational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan in 2025.   An Illinois native, Cufr currently lives in Nampa with Pete and Ann Crabb.  

Greg Hawkins, brother of head coach Jon, enters his second year with the men's basketball staff in the 2025-26 season as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach. Greg spent the 2023-24 year as a high school head coach at Christ Academy. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as an assistant at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas. While at MSU, the Mustangs reached the Lone Star Conference tournament in two of three seasons. Greg also mentions a highlight of his time there as traveling to Nampa for a Thanksgiving tournament in 2022 and getting to compete against Jon, ‘hopefully for the one and only time’.   Prior to MSU, Greg spend three seasons at Dallas Baptist as an assistant. DBU qualified for the NCAA Tournament in all three years he was there. Another highlight from his time at DBU was the opportunity to officiate a player’s wedding. At all of Greg’s coaching stops, he credits his best memories as being the relationships that he has been able to form with players and other coaches.   Greg has earned a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State, a Master’s in Education from Northern Arizona, and a Master’s in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary.   Greg has been married to wife Keri since 2015, and the pair have two children: daughter Adeline and son Charlie.