The third Citadel football coach in as many seasons aims to stop that alarming turnover rate.

"I'm almost 50, and I want to go to a place I can call home," said former Lehigh University coach Kevin Higgins, who was named the Bulldogs' new head coach Thursday. "I want to be at a place that we can stay for a long period of time and develop a program, like we did at Lehigh."

Higgins, who spent the last four years as an assistant coach with the NFL's Detroit Lions, was introduced at a news conference at the Altman Center overlooking Johnson Hagood Stadium, a scene that's become all too familiar for Citadel fans and players.

Higgins, who will be the Bulldogs' fourth head coach in five years, succeeds John Zernhelt, who resigned Feb. 11 after one season to take a job with the NFL's New York Jets. Zernhelt replaced Ellis Johnson, who left after three seasons to become defensive coordinator at Mississippi State.

In an effort to halt that revolving door, The Citadel has included a buyout clause in Higgins' four-year contract, which calls for a base salary of about $115,000 per year. If he leaves for any football job, he'll have to pay the school $100,000 after one year, $75,000 after two and $50,000 after three.

Johnson's buyout clause only applied if he took another job as a head coach, a loophole that The Citadel closed for Higgins. Zernhelt had never signed his contract before he left.

"The reason for the buyout is obvious," Robinson said. "You can't predict things like what happened with John Zernhelt, but it offers a little protection for the school and might make his decision a little tougher."

But Higgins, whose Lehigh teams had a record of 56-25-1 and won or shared four Patriot League titles from 1994-2000, made it clear that he's out to accomplish similar things at The Citadel, which has not won a Southern Conference title since 1992 and hasn't had a winning record since 1997. He's coached at only two places in the last 17 years -- 13 years as an assistant and head coach at Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa., and four years with the Lions.

"We want to win the Southern Conference championship," said Higgins, who plans to run a spread option offense similar to the one new Florida coach Urban Meyer ran at Utah. "Every day and every practice will point toward that goal. I don't know when it will happen, but I know that it will happen.

"We have our work cut out for us," he said. "But the only way to get where we want to go is to get everyone on board."

The hiring of Higgins, who is the 23rd coach in Citadel history, brought to an end a 41-day search that had its share of drama and leaves the new coach little time to assemble his staff and conduct 15 spring practice workouts before exams start on April 27.

Early on, Robinson said he wanted to promote from within The Citadel's staff, but the assistant coaches reportedly could not get behind one candidate. Robinson later had what he called "serious talks" with South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough and offered him the job, according to several sources. Pough, who would have been The Citadel's first black head coach, turned down the job.

Citadel alumni such as Kenny Carter, Stump Mitchell and Keith Jones, all experienced coaches, expressed interest in the job, as did former offensive coordinator Al Seagraves. And Robinson raised the possibility of bringing in former Georgia coach Jim Donnan to run spring practice.

There were even rumors of negotiations with former Citadel coach Charlie Taaffe, who led the Bulldogs to that 1992 SoCon title before he was fired in 1996 and is now offensive coordinator at Maryland. Taaffe denied those rumors Thursday.

Higgins and Rice offensive coordinator Scott Wachenheim interviewed with Robinson last weekend in Charlotte, with Higgins finally emerging as the favorite this week.

"I told my wife, this has been the longest search in the history of the NCAA," Higgins said.

Robinson, who has made lengthy coaching searches his mode of operation at The Citadel and North Carolina State, called the process the "most thoughtful and thorough search I've ever had."

"I'm extremely confident about the man we've hired," Robinson said. "I think we came up with the best available head coach in the country."

THE Kevin Higgins FILE

Age

: 49. Hometown: Emerson, N.J.

Coaching experience: Receivers coach, Detroit Lions, 2004; Quarterbacks coach, Detroit Lions, 2001-03; Head coach and quarterbacks, Lehigh, 1994-2000; Assistant coach, Lehigh, 1988-93; Assistant coach, Richmond, 1985-87; Assistant coach, Gettysburg College, 1981-84.

Playing experience: Free safety at West Chester (Pa.) University.

Education: Bachelor's degree in health and physical education from West Chester; Master's degree in physical education from East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University.

Family: Wife, Kay; son, Tim; daughters, Meaghan and Katie Rose.

HIGGINS' RECORD

Year by year record of new Citadel football coach Kevin Higgins while at Lehigh University:

Year Record Comment

1994 5-5-1 Was assistant for six years at Lehigh

1995 8-3 Won Patriot League title

1996 5-6 First of two losing seasons

1997 4-7 5 losses by 7 points or fewer

1998 12-1 Won PL, beat Richmond, Wofford

1999 10-2 Won Patriot League title

2000 12-1 Won PL title, beat Wofford

Total 56-25-1 30-9 in Patriot League games