Ernest Hawkins (coach)
Ernest Hawkins (born 1926 in Lamesa, Texas) is a former American football coach, Basketball Coach, Athletic Director, and Collegiate Football, Basketball, and Track and Field athlete. He is best known for his time as head coach at Texas A&M University-Commerce, then known at East Texas State University, from 1964–1985, compiling a 132–92–6 record.[1] He is the winningest head coach in Texas A&M–Commerce history and led the Lions to the National Football Championship during the 1972 season.
Early life
Hawkins was born in Lamesa, Texas in West Texas and was a standout in Football, Basketball, and Track and Field at Lamesa High School. After graduating High School in 1944 he enrolled at Texas Tech University where he was a standout on the Tech Basketball team and Track team and was the quarterback for the Texas Tech football team from 1947-1949, leading the Red Raiders to 3 Border Conference championships and appearances in the Raisin Bowl and Sun Bowl. He was all-conference in the 1948 season. Hawkins graduated from Texas Tech in 1950 at the top of his graduating class.
Paris Junior College
Hawkins and his wife Margaret moved from West Texas to Northeast Texas after he was given the job of Head Football Coach and Head Basketball coach at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. Hawkins compiled a 32-20-1 record as the head Football coach and a 39-49 record in Basketball. He was also named to the office of Athletic Director for PJC due to his success on the court and on the field and administrative abilities. Due to Hawkins leadership, PJC was able have their athletic program evolve over the next decades. While at PJC, Hawkins attended graduate school at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, 40 miles southwest of Paris where he graduated from ETSU with a Master's degree in 1956.
Texas A&M University-Commerce
In 1957 Hawkins was hired by Jules V. Sikes to be an assistant head football coach at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce). Hawkins was part of an assistant staff that helped Sikes lead the Lions to 6 winning seasons, 3 Lone Star Conference Championships, 2 LSC second place finishes, and the Tangerine Bowl Championship in 1957 and 1958. Hawkins worked with Sikes to create a powerful and punishing run game that helped give the Lions immense success.
Head Coach at ETSU
In 1964, Head Coach Sikes died suddenly in the middle of the Spring. Hawkins immediately was named the head coach in Commerce. Hawkins coached for 21 seasons and led the Lions to 14 winning seasons, 5 conference championships, and 4 second place finishes. Hawkins led the Lions to the National Championship in 1972 Lions finished 10-2 and defeated Carson-Newman College, 21-18 in the Championship game that was played in Commerce. In 1980 Hawkins and the Lions made another serious run, but finished as National Semi-Finalists as they were defeated by Elon College, 14-6. Over the course of the 21 years as head coach, Hawkins coached future NFL standouts such as Harvey Martin, Dwight White, Wade Wilson, Autry Beamon, and also coached current United States Congressman Mike Conaway, who played for the Lions in the late sixties. Hawkins retired at the end of the 1985 season and left as the winningest coach in program history with 132 wins. He was also selected to coach the Texas team in the 1965 Oil Bowl, an annual game between Texas and Oklahoma High School Football standouts.
Personal
Hawkins resides in Commerce, Texas and is still active with the Football program at A&M-Commerce and also in the Commerce community. His beloved wife Margaret passed away in 2012 after over 62 years of marriage. He also has two daughters, Kathy and Lu Anne, and one son, Ray. Hawkins himself had a health scare in the Summer of 2012 and was hospitalized while contracting West Nile Disease, but was treated and released a week later. Hawkins is often seen attending TAMUC Football games and practices and enjoys golfing, and is a long time member of the First Baptist Church of Commerce.
Honors
- National Football Champion-1972
- Texas Tech University Athletic Hall of Honor-1975
- Texas A&M University Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame
- Lone Star Conference Athletic Hall of Fame
Head Coaching Record
Football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Texas State Lions (Lone Star Conference) (1964–1985) | ||||||||||||||
| 1964 | East Texas State | 2–7 | 1–5 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1965 | East Texas State | 4–5 | 2–4 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1966 | East Texas State | 5–3–1 | 4–1–1 | 1st | W LSC Champions | |||||||||
| 1967 | East Texas State | 4–6 | 3–4 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1968 | East Texas State | 7–2–1 | 5–1 | 2nd | W LSC Runner-up | |||||||||
| 1969 | East Texas State | 7–3 | 6–1 | 1st | W LSC Champions | |||||||||
| 1970 | East Texas State | 5–6 | 4–5 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1971 | East Texas State | 6–5 | 5–4 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1972 | East Texas State | 10–2 | 7–1 | 1st | W NAIA National Champions Bowl | 1st | 1 | |||||||
| 1973 | East Texas State | 7–4 | 6–3 | 3rd | ||||||||||
| 1974 | East Texas State | 7–4–1 | 5–4 | 5th | T Tangerine Bowl | |||||||||
| 1975 | East Texas State | 8–3 | 6–3 | 4th | ||||||||||
| 1976 | East Texas State | 5–3–1 | 4–3 | 3rd | ||||||||||
| 1977 | East Texas State | 7–4 | 4–3 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1978 | East Texas State | 4–7 | 2–5 | 7th | ||||||||||
| 1979 | East Texas State | 5–5 | 5–2 | 2nd | W LSC Runner Up | |||||||||
| 1980 | East Texas State | 8–3–1 | 4–2–1 | 1st | L NAIA National Semi-Finals | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| 1981 | East Texas State | 7–4 | 4–3 | 5th | ||||||||||
| 1982 | East Texas State | 6–4 | 4–3 | 2nd | W LSC Runner up | |||||||||
| 1983 | East Texas State | 8–2 | 6–1 | 1st | W LSC Champions | |||||||||
| 1984 | East Texas State | 5–5 | 1–3 | 4th | ||||||||||
| 1985 | East Texas State | 5–5 | 2–3 | 2nd | W LSC Runner Up | |||||||||
| East Texas State: | 132–92–6 | 90–74–2 |
References
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