Rick Redden wanted to continue as football coach at Richland High.
But he wanted to try a new adventure even more.
Redden turned in his resignation Tuesday after three years with the Bombers to pursue a year-long teaching job in China starting in August with his wife, Michelle.
"It's an opportunity she found for us, and we wanted to take advantage of that opportunity," Redden said Wednesday evening.
Redden would teach P.E. and coach basketball and track at Shekou International School near Hong Kong, a school that serves students of 32 nationalities, many of whose parents work for the multinational corporations in the region.
He leaves for China in early August.
"We wanted to do this and also give our children a chance to see the world and learn about new cultures," said Redden, 43, who has triplet 12-year-old boys and a 7-year-old daughter.
Redden had discussed with Richland athletic director Mike Edwards the possibility of taking a sabbatical from the football program and returning in a year, "but that would not have been fair to the kids or to the program."
Redden went 18-11 with the Bombers after coming to the program from an assistant coaching position with Weber State University. Last year, he guided the Bombers to a share of their first league title since 1999.