MOULTRIE – It was almost an afterthought that made Greg Robinson send his resume to Houston County to apply for its vacant head coaching job.

“I really didn’t think I had a chance at it,” the former Colquitt County High quarterback and Dodge County head coach said.

But at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Robinson received a call at his Eastman home telling him he was the new head coach of the Bears.

And he knew exactly when he would be facing his alma mater.

“Saturday night, Nov. 1,” he said of the date the Bears will play host to the Packers in a Region 1-AAAAA game.

Robinson, who had been the head coach at Dodge County the last six seasons, was one of four finalists for the head coach at athletic director job at Houston County. He won out over interim coach George Collins, Perry offensive coordinator Chad Alligood and Rutland assistant Ben Maddox.

The jump from Region 4-AA to Region 1-AAAAA will be big one and Robinson knows it.

“I know what’s ahead,” Robinson said. “I respect the coaches and the teams in that region. There’s a lot of work to do. We’re just going to roll up our sleeves and go to work.”

Houston County 1-9 last season under Collins, who was named the interim coach after Doug Johnson resigned in July. The Bears did not win a region game.

Robinson was the Packers starting quarterback from 1977-1979 and as a senior completed 63-of-128 passes for 1,107 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Packers went 5-5 under Bob Griffith.

Robinson later was an assistant under Griffith at Effingham County before going to Eastman to serve as an assistant under John Peacock.

When Peacock retired from coaching in 2001, Robinson took over and led the Indians to a 38-27 record over six seasons.

But Dodge was 9-3 each of the last two seasons and 32-13 over the last four. Despite making the playoffs the last three seasons and advancing to the second round the last two, Robinson was let go after last season.

Not having his contract renewed was a shock, he said.

“Sometime the Lord closes one door, but opens another,” said Robinson, who added that there were just “a handful of people” who apparently wanted him out of Dodge.