CEDARVILLE, Ohio - Ray Slagle has stepped down as head men's basketball coach at Cedarville University to return to high school coaching. The eight-year Yellow Jacket mentor heads to the Caldwell Academy in Greensboro, N.C. to become the head boys basketball coach.

"God has led us to different places to do different things in order to become what He wants us to be," said Slagle. "I enjoy the opportunity to build rather than sustain and that's why it was exciting to come to Cedarville. As I've gotten older I am challenged to start something from scratch and build it. That's what is waiting for us in North Carolina."

Slagle took over a Yellow Jacket basketball program and in eight years built it into one of the best in NAIA Division II. His program was 177-92 overall and 92-46 in the American Mideast Conference. That was the result even after laboring through an initial campaign of 8-22 and 3-15 AMC in 2000-01.

The final resume is most impressive. Cedarville had not been to the national tournament in 21 seasons, yet Slagle's teams made five trips to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets never lost in the first round and advanced to the Final Four once, the Elite Eight twice, and the Sweet 16 twice.

Cedarville claimed three American Mideast Conference South Division titles, two AMC Tournament titles, and was ranked as high as #1 during the 2004-05 Final Four season that featured a school-record 28 victories. Slagle's last seven teams won at least 20 games and he was voted the NCCAA National Coach of the Year in 2003.