Hopkins was named player-manager of the Gippsland Falcons in the lead-up to the 1999-2000 National Soccer League Season after the departure of
Stuart Munro to rivals
Carlton SC. Hopkins became full-time manager during the season and retired from playing. He departed when the club exited the National Soccer League at the end of the 2000-2001 National Soccer League Season. Hopkins was coach of the
Brisbane Roar women's team from their inaugural season in 2008, in which he led the team to a championship-premiership double. On 15 June 2012 it was announced he had been appointed as senior first team Assistant manager. On 30 April 2013, at the end of
Brisbane Roar's
2012–13 A-League season, the Roar announced that he would become the
Brisbane Roar Youth coach for the
2013–14 A-League National Youth League season. On 26 November 2014, following the resignation of
Ron Smith, Hopkins moved into the role of assistant coach of Brisbane Roar. On 17 June 2016, Hopkins was appointed head coach of the
Melbourne Victory women's team. Hopkins served as the inaugural manager of the
Melbourne Victory FC AWT. Playing their inaugural season in State League 4 West, the seventh tier of Australian women's football and sixth in the Victorian structure, the AWT finished in third place, a result which saw them promoted to State League 3 East. Hopkins was succeeded as AWT manager by Jorge Leon for the 2023 State League 3 East season. ==Managerial statistics==