Matt Thede will be leaving his post as the head baseball coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie after this season to become the new athletic director and assistant principal at Mount Vernon High School.

Thede, 36, has compiled a 95-81 record in five years as Prairie's head coach. He just finished his eighth year in the College Community school district as a teacher and coach.

Thede and his wife, Jessica, live in Mount Vernon and have three young children. Jessica Thede teaches at Mount Vernon High School and they live a block from the school.

Thede said his new job will be good for his family and a good move for him professionally. He has regretted not be able to attend his 5-year-old son's baseball games due to his busy schedule with the Prairie baseball team.

"I get to teach 25 guys how to play baseball (at Prairie) and I don't get to teach my own son, for the most part, or at least see him play," said Thede. "I've been tearing up about it at night.

"I want to spend more time with my family, first and foremost."

The Mount Vernon school board approved hiring Thede on Monday. He has told his players that he'll be leaving after the season.

"It was hard to tell the boys, that's for sure," he said.

Thede learned about the opening at Mount Vernon during the final week of school and decided to apply, not sure he'd accept if offered.

"I had no intention of leaving Prairie. Nobody leaves a job that they love, you know what I mean?," he remarked.

"I love my job, I love the people I work with, I love my administration. I've enjoyed serving at Prairie. I love getting up every day. It's been a great place to work."

The Prairie Hawks finished with a 13-20 record in Thede's first year as head coach in 2010. They followed that with three straight solid campaigns of 26-16, 23-18 and 27-13, but have tapered off to 6-14 this year.

He feels the program is in good shape, with good facilities and talent in the younger grades. "What's given me peace, I think we're leaving it in a better place than we found it," he said.