Big Blue girls basketball coach Jack Hughes' most memorable coaching moment came before the Div. 3 finals in 2009.

The girls were so focused on the task at hand before the game that he did not have to say anything, or much of anything.

The coach knew they were ready.

They went out and defeated Pentucket and continued an incredible run to the state championship.

Now, Hughes, 61, doesn't have a lot of words to describe why he feels it is time to step down as Swampscott High's basketball coach. He just knows he is ready.

So he is putting down his coach's clipboard and closing the books on teaching, too. He is retiring.

June 30, is his last day with the Beverly School District where he teaches history at the middle school.

He knew he was going to retire from teaching earlier in the year but decided to give the coaching duties some additional thought before he decided to silence the whistle.

Eventually he found himself trying talk himself into staying as the basketball coach and knew that was a sign it was time to retire.

He actually gave retirement from coaching some thought last summer, he said, but decided he wanted to come back with the group of players he had returning.

The team won a lot of games this past season before losing in the tournament to Pentucket.

Next year's team has good kids coming back but he won't be coaching them.

It will be up to Athletic Director Jon Flanagan to find a replacement.