Kuba switching sports, will assist Erbe

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Mike Kuba made the long, painful walk to meet with his baseball players Wednesday.

"It was a five-minute walk from the office to the new gym, but it felt like 30," he said. "I had a gut-ache the whole way."

Kuba's message was this: He has resigned his position as Cedar Rapids Jefferson baseball coach, and has accepted a job as a softball assistant coach.

"Maybe it's selfish to do this, but it would be more selfish not to do it," said Kuba, 43, who compiled a 144-120 in seven seasons at Jefferson.

He will work under Brian Erbe, who was named last week as the head softball coach.

The former coach at Cedar Rapids Xavier, Erbe succeeds Larry Niemeyer.

"We always said how much fun it would be to coach together," Erbe said. "I'm very excited about this. Mike brings a lot to the table. He knows the kids. He knows the game. And it's great that he'll be able to be around his daughters more."

Kuba's oldest daughter, Erin, is a freshman softball player. Erin was diagnosed earlier this year with thyroid cancer and underwent treatments throughout the summer.

She took her last round of radioactive iodine treatments two weeks ago, and was diagnosed as cancer-free at her most recent checkup Monday.

Kuba's youngest daughter, Emily Kuba, is heavily involved in softball as well.

Jefferson's search for a new baseball coach will begin immediately, athletics director Chris Deam said."The cupboard certainly isn't bare," Kuba said. "I'm leaving a great group of guys."I am very thankful to past activities directors Jim Taylor and Scott Kibby for giving me an opportunity to coach baseball respectively as an assistant and head coach in the J-Hawk baseball program."I have been blessed to have coached with such an outstanding group of assistant coaches throughout the years, too. I will equally cherish all the great player and parent relationships I made in my 17 years of coaching baseball."