Brad Harris has resigned after two seasons as the Notre Dame High School boys' basketball coach.
The 25-year-old Harris plans to return home to Winston-Salem, N.C., to be closer to family. He said he plans to work toward a master's degree.
"It was a tough decision because of the relationships I had built here and especially working with the kids," Harris said. "That was the toughest part - leaving the kids that I've worked with.
"From my first year as a head coach to now, the thing that changed the most is how I approach the game. I used to concentrate on what style of play or the X's and O's, but now I think more about the influence I can have on young people's lives, and that's what made the job special."
Harris was a three-time All-American at Tennessee Temple and Lee universities and was the player of the year in Lee's NAIA league as a senior. He gave up a professional playing career in Europe to begin working with teenagers.
After one year as an assistant at Boyd-Buchanan, Harris took over at Notre Dame when Tommy Fox resigned just before practice got under way in September 2010. In his first season, Harris directed the Fighting Irish to a 16-13 record and the District 7-AA championship. Last season Notre Dame finished 13-16 and lost in the first round of the region tournament.
"Brad did a great job while he's been here, and we appreciate his work," Notre Dame athletic director Howie Sompayrac said. "He's a talented young coach with a bright future, and we all understand him wanting to go back home and be closer to family.
"We are taking applications and hope to have a new coach in place in the next couple of weeks."