By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

Charles Flowers is coming home.

Flowers, a graduate of Troup High, is returning to his old school to take over the football program.

The official announcement came on Thursday, so when the Tigers take the field for the 2010 season, Flowers will be the one calling the shots.

Flowers, the long-time coach at Shaw who led the Raiders to a state title in 2000, has coached at Dougherty High in Albany the past three seasons.

Flowers is taking over for Bubba Jeter, who stepped down after leading the Tigers to a 6-5 record in 2009.

“The last two words I said to him when we finished our conversation (Thursday) were, ‘welcome home,’ ” Troup principal Michael Lehr said.

Flowers still has to be approved by the Troup County school board, something that will take place when he is released from his contract at Dougherty.

Flowers said he expects to be here for spring practice.

“I’m extremely excited,” Flowers said during a phone interview Thursday night. “I’m grateful that they gave me an opportunity. There were a lot of quality candidates.”

When Flowers stepped down as the Dougherty coach, he wasn’t sure what his future held.

He figured it would have to “be a special case” for him to return to coaching, and he felt returning to his alma matter fit that bill.

Coming home, he said, “was a huge part of it. It’s a chance to be able to come back to you old school, to give back to your community.”

Flowers has the endorsement of the man he’ll be replacing.

Jeter, who served two stints as the Troup head coach and like Flowers is a Troup graduate, said he “couldn’t have hand-picked a better candidate.”

“I think he’ll be great,” Jeter added. “I’ll stay out of his way, but I’ll be here to help if he needs it.”

Flowers said he’ll try to build on what Jeter and former Troup coach Tommy Walburn have established at Troup.

Troup has been to the state playoffs nine of the past 10 seasons.

“Bubba and I, we’re friends,” Flowers said. “We’ve known each other for years and he has done a tremendous job there.

“You just want to build on some of the positive things they’ve done.”

Flowers brings an impressive coaching resume to Troup.

Although things didn’t go well at Dougherty where the Trojans were 13-17 in three seasons, Flowers has an overall record of 145-75 in 19 seasons as a head coach.

At Shaw, Flowers built the program into one of the state’s best.

Flowers also won a state title as Shaw’s baseball coach in 2001.

Add it all up, and Lehr said Flowers was the ideal candidate.

“The fact that Dr. Flowers is a Troup County native and a Troup High graduate only sweetens the deal for our student athletes,” Lehr said. “For in him, our student body will see a home-grown role model whose career is a testimony of what any of our community’s youth can achieve through faith in themselves, hard work, and a commitment to personal success.”

Flowers was chosen from a field of more than 40 candidates.

Eventually it came down to two finalists, and Flowers was the choice.

“He’ll do a good job,” Jeter said. “It’s exciting.”