By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

Poplar Bluff became the latest SEMO North school looking for a new football coach Wednesday when Brian Robbins submitted his resignation after two seasons.

Robbins was hired Tuesday night by Hillsboro.

"It was a tough decision," Robbins said. "I went up and interviewed and didn't have any expectations that I would leave but they gave me a good deal. It was a family decision."

Poplar Bluff is the third SEMO team looking for a new coach for the 2008 season after Cape Central coach Lawrence Brookins resigned in January followed by Jackson coach Carl Gross a few weeks later.

"I know it was a tough decision for him," said Bill Caputo, Poplar Bluff's athletic director. "We appreciate what he did for us and of course got us started in the right director."

Caputo said the search for Poplar Bluff's 19th football coach will begin today and hopes to have a candidate ready for the school board for its April meeting. The board is also scheduled to meet March 20.

Caputo added that the search will most likely be conducted as in Feb. 2006 when a committee of five school officials chose Robbins.

"I'm positive we're going to find someone," Caputo added. "Ideally we'd like to fill it as soon as we can for our kids' sake more than anything else and the community's sake to let them know who's going to be there."

The next coach will be the third in seven years for Poplar Bluff, which can return seven defensive starters and 10 starters on offense from a team that finished 5-5.

It was the first time since 2003 that Poplar Bluff did not finish with a losing record.

Robbins, who was 3-7 and SEMO North Coach of the Year in his first season at Poplar Bluff, takes over a Hawks program that was winless last season and 5-25 over the previous three seasons.

Hillsboro has a new stadium and plans to expand the program's facilities, Robbins said. Plus, he and his, wife Amanda . will be closer to family.

"You've got to do what's best for you and your future," Caputo said. "I know he struggled with it because you don't put as much time as he did and one day say, 'Hey I think I'll leave.'"

Robbins is 40-25 in six seasons as a head coach, winning three district titles at St. Clair before coming to Poplar Bluff.

He leaves the program with the 2008-09 schedules in place and a team poised for its first playoff appearance since 2000.

"Like I told the kids, you're going to be fine," Robbins said. "We're going to have a good football team next year. I think everybody in the area knows that.

"They know how to play physical, fundamental football now," Robbins added.

With the addition of Farmington to the SEMO North, there will be four new coaches in the conference next fall while Sikeston's Kent Gibbs will be in his second season.

Since coach Dutch Wyatt retired in 1971 with a program-best 97 wins in 15 years, no coach has stayed at Poplar Bluff more than five years.

Dave Sievers also resigned as an assistant coach after the season to spend more time with his family after his 20th season on the sidelines at Poplar Bluff.

Hillsboro's school board hired Robbins on the same night Poplar Bluff beat the Hawks in the district semifinals of boys basketball.