The man who spent a decade, and, along the way, has taken Eastern’s women’s soccer team to four straight Ohio Valley Conference championships, resigned Tuesday.

Steve Ballard, the only women’s soccer coach in the school’s history, has accepted an offer to start a women’s soccer program at Texas-San Antonio.

The departing coach said that it was the most difficult coaching decision he has had to make since his coaching career started.

Ballard met with the team he led to last season’s OVC championship Tuesday and said that the atmosphere turned emotional quickly.

“I brought in a sheet of paper with about 30 words on it, and I only made it through two-thirds of it before I had to hand it over to (assistant coach) Kristin Boeker,” Ballard said. “I felt like I had been run over, just standing up there and saying goodbye.”

Players returning to next year’s squad also had trouble believing what their coach was telling them.

Starting goalkeeper, Tiffany Groene, said she was excited to come back for her fifth year of eligibility because of the family-like atmosphere that had developed within the team.

“This was a big shock for me,” Groene said. “It’s like graduating from college and knowing that you are going to leave a few friends behind – that’s how I feel about coach leaving.

“We’re his kids, his family. Especially when you are as successful as we have been over the last couple of years, it’s tough to lose somebody from this team.”

Eastern will start the process for finding a new head women’s soccer coach as soon as possible, Gail Richard, the NCAA Faculty Representative at Eastern, said.

“There is no doubt that coach Ballard leaves a legacy here at Eastern for women’s soccer, but we will have to look for the best candidate possible as soon as possible,” Richard said.

Director of Athletics Richard McDuffie hopes to have the position filled by April and said the process will go through a committee that will include a player from the team.

Ballard noted that the opportunity to take the position in San Antonio made him think about finishing off his career and where he wanted to be when he decides to retire.

“I’m 52 years old now, and San Antonio is a great metropolitan area,” Ballard said. “This could turn into a dream job for me because they are building a new soccer facility, and if I work hard enough I think success can be found there.”

The move wasn’t entirely a surprise to McDuffie, however.

“I think he’s looked at some other opportunities over the last couple of years,” McDuffie said. “but my understanding is the place he’s going to is starting their program, and they’ll build a new stadium. So, I would assume he sees that as a good opportunity to do what he did here.”