Terry English, the girls’ basketball coach at Bishop Miege High School, has announced his retirement after 45 years of coaching at the private Catholic school in Roeland Park.

English began his coaching career in 1975 when the girls’ basketball team was first formed. Since then, he’s wracked up some tremendous stats, including 22 state titles.

He finishes with a career record of 910-168.

English’s final game turned out to be the Stags’ 51-36 victory earlier this month in the Class 4A state championship against McPherson.

The English family — including Terry English’s children — wrote a letter about his retirement and posted it to Twitter. His family said not only did he mold the lives of so many young people in his four-and-a-half decades at the school but that the Bishop Miege community has been incredibly near and dear to Terry.

“Coach English has meant so much to Bishop Miege, and Bishop Miege has played such an incredible role in his life,” the English family wrote. “From being a graduate of the class of 1968, returning to teach for 30+ years, and coaching for 45 years — Bishop Miege runs through his blood.”

English told the team he was retiring in the locker room following the state championship victory, according to Spectrum Sports KC. It was an emotional time for both him and his team, he said.

“The only person who knew ahead of time was my son in California,” he told Spectrum in a statement. “I told my wife before the game as we were leaving the hotel, she was pretty stunned.”

Although deciding to retire was a difficult choice, English told Spectrum he and his wife are excited to travel.

“It has been a tough year as I was thinking about making this decision,” English told the sports channel. “I feel good and I still love it. My wife has had to sacrifice a lot. We look forward to traveling some more, especially to see the grandkids in California.”

A Bishop Miege representative could not immediately be reached for comment for this story.