A two-week search for Niceville’s next head football coach ended the way many in the community wanted and expected: with the hiring of Adron Robinson.

• “No one has deeper roots with Niceville Eagle football than Coach Adron Robinson, and he was the unanimous selection of our hiring committee,” Niceville principal Charlie Marello said in a statement.

The opening came after Richard Morgan resigned on March 24 following a 6-5 season that saw the Eagles lose in the first round of the playoffs in overtime to eventual region champion Ponte Vedra. The job drew 23 applicants over the two-week search.

It’s easy to see why Robinson was the unanimous choice.

He is a Niceville football alum who was a two-way star on the 1988 state championship team, delivering two touchdowns and an interception in a 48-14 rout over Bradenton Southeast.

Robinson has served on the Eagles’ staff since 2010 in a variety of roles, most notably as co-offensive coordinator, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He has also helmed the girls flag football program, which at 12-2 this season looks like a state title contender.

Robinson inherits a strong situation on the field. On offense, he’ll have running back Jakobe Gilyard, who delivered one of the greatest freshman seasons in recent memory, along with emerging quarterback Deegan McCoy. The defense is loaded with returners including Noah Renes, Clay Nelson, Dominic Ealy and Andy Bocchino.

But the schedule will be a challenge.

Robinson’s first season includes road rivalry matchups against Choctaw, which reached the Final Four, and Crestview, a playoff team. The Eagles also face two Sweet 16-bound opponents in Pace and Mosley — the latter having beaten Niceville three straight years. A road trip to Hoover, the No. 10 team in Alabama, rounds out a demanding slate.

Spring practice begins April 20. Niceville opens its season with the kickoff classic at home against Fort Walton Beach on Aug. 13 before traveling to Prattville, Alabama, on Aug. 21 for its Week 1 game.