Leaving a job can be difficult, especially if there is no reason forcing a person to leave.

But Permian's Pete Southall turned in his resignation late last week after four years as the baseball coach to take assistant coaching positions in both baseball and football at Rockwall next year.

Southall compiled a 51-63-4 record in four years at Permian and led the Panthers to the Class 5A playoffs in 2007.

"My time in Odessa has been wonderful," he said. "I almost wish I was mad at somebody or something because it's hard to leave the kids at Permian."

Southall's decision to move to Rockwall was a family decision. He always has wanted to be able to move his wife, Priscilla, closer to her family in Fordyce, Ark., and coaching at Rockwall will move the family six hours closer to her hometown.

"This was more for my family than anything else," Southall said. "The timing was right."

Some coaches might have trouble making the move from head coach to assistant, but Southall said taking orders won't be a problem. He has worked as an assistant at the high school level, and he has been the head coach at Permian and at Division II Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Ark.

"As long as you're working with kids and get to be around the game, it doesn't matter what capacity you do it in," Southall said.

Southall will be reunited with former Permian football coach Scott Smith, who has been the head football coach at Rockwall since 2005.

Southall and current Permian football coach and athletics director Darren Allman have become close, and Allman understands his friend's decision.

"He's in a position where he wants to sit back and spend a little more time with family," Allman said. "He did a good job here as both a coach and teacher and set a great example for the kids and community."

Replacing Southall will take some time, but Allman said the school district will spend the next few weeks taking applications and continue the process from there.

"We're currently in the process of trying to replace him," Allman said. "We're looking for someone who is similar in character and someone who can hopefully take us to the next level."