MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - An era of Oakland High School baseball is coming to an end. Longtime head coach Mack Hawks officially announced his retirement this week after 37 seasons at the helm of the Patriots.

The 66-year old Hawks retires with a career record of 760 wins and 446 losses. The pinnacle of his tenure came during a dominant run where Oakland secured back-to-back state championships in 1999 and 2000. The 2000 team, coached by Hawks and Jeff Mitchell, finished with a remarkable 40-3 record. That squad earned national respect, ranking 6th in the country by Baseball America and 7th by USA Today.

Under his watch, the Patriots earned seven state tournament appearances, 13 sectional berths, seven region titles and nine district championships. In 2014, his contributions to the sport were recognized with an induction into the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Hawks 37 years at the helm of the baseball program is the longest in school history for any coach.

The search for a new head coach to lead the Patriots will begin immediately.