Soddy-Daisy softball coach Clifford Kirk announced his retirement on Wednesday.
The veteran coach, who just won his eighth state championship at Soddy-Daisy, also won two at Hixson High School.
At the state tournament this past week, Kirk said his wife said he needed to spend more time with his grandchildren.
"I'm hanging it up,'' Kirk said Wednesday afternoon.
Kirk always specialized in teams with good pitching, defense and aggressive base-running.
"I won my first state championship as a coach at Hixson, and I just won my last state chamionship as a coach at Soddy-Daisy,'' Kirk said. "I figured nobody else had done that, so I would just go out on top.''
Soddy-Daisy assistant coach Wes Skiles is expected to take over the program from Kirk.
Skiles has been serving as an assistant at Soddy-Daisy High, but also has been the head softball coach at feeder school Loftis Middle School.
Kirk has been serving as head softball coach at Soddy-Daisy High School and at Soddy-Daisy Middle School
He will continue to coach at Soddy-Daisy Middle School for at least one more year.
"This was a great year,'' Kirk said. "We won the state championship with only one senior (ace pitcher Kelsey Nunley. That was great.
"I have been fighting the heat, but still enjoying it, but just decided to go out on top.''
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@eartthlink..net)