East Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame
Football Coach • 1957-85
Hawkins was the Lions' head football coach from 1964-85 and is the winningest coach in the program's storied history with an all-time record of 132-92-6. He led ETSU to the program's first ever National Championship, defeating Carson-Newman 21-18 on December 9, 1972 to win the NAIA Division I Championship. Hawkins led the Lion football team to four Lone Star Conference Championships (1966, 1969, 1972, 1983) and was named LSC Coach of the Year in all four of his championship seasons.
Hawkins began his career at ETSU as an assistant coach under fellow Lion Hall of Fame coach J.V. Sikes in 1957, and was part of three LSC Championship coaching staffs and six winning seasons while an offensive assistant. He was also the school's tennis coach from 1957-1964. Following his retirement in 1986 as football coach, Hawkins then served as the university's compliance officer from 1986-1996, when he officially retired.
Prior to East Texas State, Hawkins began his coaching career at Paris Junior College, where he coached both the football team and men's basketball team. His football team has a record of 30-20-1. During his tenure at PJC, he earned his master's degree from ETSU. Hawkins earned his bachelor's degree from Texas Tech in 1950, graduating at the top of his class. As the team's quarterback, he helped lead the Red Raiders to three conference championships. He enrolled at Texas Tech in 1944 but soon after enrolled in the United States military, serving on a Navy aircraft carrier stationed in Puerto Rico. He completed his military service in 1946.
Hawkins was inducted into the Lion Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor in 2004. On November 4, 2017, the field at Memorial Stadium was officially named the Ernest Hawkins Field in his honor.
