After a standout swimming career at Auburn which saw him nine individual NCAA Championships and two team titles, Brett Hawke joined the international stage and competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

After his competitive career came to an end, he joined the staff at Auburn as an assistant coach and helped lead them to two more NCAA Championships. In 2009, he was elevated to head coach after Richard Quick passed away from an inoperable brain tumor. That season, the Tigers won their eighth NCAA Championship and Hawke & Quick shared the honor as the 2009 NCAA Coaches of the Year.

Hawke helped coach the Braziliain Olympic Team at the 2008 Olympic Games, which saw Cesar Cielo set a world record in the 50 Freestyle and take over the title as the World's Fastest Swimmer.

As a swimmer, he was a five-time Australian champion and a former Australian record holder in the 50m freestyle.