Jason Pershing, a former basketball player at Mount Mercy University,  will be returning to his alma mater as the first assistant athletic  director in school history.

Pershing has resigned as the boys basketball coach at Solon High  School to accept his new post at Mount Mercy, according to The Gazette.

Pershing, a Cedar Rapids Washington grad, played basketball at Mount  Mercy from 2001 through 2003 when Paul Gavin was the school's head  coach. Gavin is now the athletic director and Pershing will be his top  assistant.

Mount Mercy has added men's volleyball and competitive dance as  varsity sports in recent years and is exploring the possibility of  adding more varsity teams in the future.

In addition, Mount Mercy opened the new Plaster Athletic Complex two  years ago for soccer, track, baseball and softball, with the  possibility of adding football and lacrosse.

Pershing spent five years as the head coach at Solon, compiling a  58-57 record. He also founded the College Summer League in Cedar  Rapids for small-college basketball players.