Former Greenwood, UAFS volleyball player takes on coaching role at Gentry

Less than two years after her volleyball playing career ended at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS), a former state champion standout will now be a first-time head coach at Gentry High School in Northwest Arkansas.

Hannah Hankins, who played at Greenwood High School and later at UAFS, was recently hired to take over the high school volleyball program at Gentry. She has spent this school year as an assistant volleyball and basketball coach at Springdale-based Shiloh Christian.

Though she doesn’t have extensive coaching experience, Hankins believes she is ready for the challenge of her new job.

“I think I’ve just always been one that’s, even though I’m young, I’m prepared,” Hankins said. “I feel like it’s just such an incredibly humbling role, and volleyball has given me so much mentors, opportunities and lifelong relationships, so this really feels like a full circle moment.”

Hankins first found out about the job when it was posted online and decided to apply.

“The job posting was something that I saw and I just prayed about, consulted my husband (Tyler, who is the head baseball and assistant football coach at Lincoln) with and just thought would this be a good fit for myself and my career right now,” Hankins said. “Only being in education and coaching for not even a year, I was not exactly confident if my qualifications wouldn’t match me with that position.”

Then known as Hannah Watkins, Hankins is a 2021 graduate of Greenwood. As a right side hitter and middle blocker, she had 462 career kills, 211 blocks and a .415 hitting percentage.

In the spring of her junior season, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the athletic season and threatened to do the same for Watkins’ senior season. She decided to write a letter to then-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, imploring him to do something to let her and many others have their 2020 volleyball season. Eventually, the Arkansas Activities Association allowed volleyball to be played that year. Watkins took full advantage in helping lead Greenwood to the Class 5A title.

Watkins signed with the University of Central Arkansas before transferring to UAFS, where she played through the 2024 season.

She has now transitioned into coaching, where this past fall, helped Shiloh Christian reach the state semifinals. She is coaching the junior high girls basketball team there. Because of her basketball obligations, as well as the recent winter storm, Hankins has yet to meet her new volleyball squad but is eager for the opportunity.

“I think Gentry has so much potential, not just in like talent and facilities and schools, but also the people,” she said. “From just my first conversation, I could tell how invested the administration and even the families were, and so I’m excited to build something sustainable there. We recently played a basketball game against them before I interviewed and just to see the fans and see their hearts and see the players and how hard they play. It just kind of showed me that this is something that I want to spend time with and pour myself into and pour into these girls in this community.”

Hankins earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from UAFS, and it helped her think about a career in coaching. She also saw firsthand the coaches she has had, such as Greenwood’s Jennifer Golden and Jane Sargent of UAFS – both longtime coaches – become fully invested in their players.

“I’ve been under amazing coaches, and so just kind of seeing how rewarding the field is while still getting to help people and also still getting to coaching, you know, be in the sport that I love, I just knew it was the right route for me,” Hankins said.

Hankins also oversees a website, PrepDig Arkansas, which covers Arkansas high school volleyball. She will still do that even with her new job.

“I’ve always told my husband and my family that small schools just have a special place in my heart because that’s where I was K through 8th grade (in Waldron), and even Greenwood was just a small school in itself, plus UAFS is a small community in itself,” Hankins said. “So getting to be at one that I actually get to lead, I think that’s gonna be the most rewarding part of this is getting to just pour into the community and make those relationships and build those relationships, but also getting to mentor girls. I also get to be the coach that I would want to play for, and so I think that’s what’s really driving me to be very excited for this program.”