COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Bobby Cremins is returning to college basketball as coach of the College of Charleston. He has not coached since retiring from Georgia Tech six years ago.

“I just really missed the game and I’m thrilled to get a second chance here,” Cremins told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Cremins, who said he agreed to a six-year contract, met with the school’s search committee Friday. He’ll be formally introduced as the Cougars’ coach on Monday.

Cremins spent 19 seasons with the Yellow Jackets, winning three Atlantic Coast Conference titles and reaching the Final Four in 1990. He has worked as a TV analyst on college basketball games since then.

Cremins takes over for Tom Herrion, who last month was bought out of the remaining four seasons of his contract with the Cougars for $787,000.

Cremins is known nationally for luring such stars as Kenny Anderson, John Salley and Stephon Marbury to Georgia Tech. But in South Carolina he’s best known for accepting the job at his alma mater, South Carolina, in 1993 and then going back to the Yellow Jackets three days later.

This time, Cremins was the beneficiary of second thoughts.

Charleston appeared to have filled its vacancy when Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall, a former Cougars assistant, agreed to the job. But Marshall felt anxious about the move, and the next day decided to remain with the Eagles.

“He pulled a Bobby Cremins,” Cremins said.

Marshall’s move opened the door for Cremins. The Cougars’ committee also interviewed Coastal Carolina coach Buzz Peterson on Friday, but Peterson later took his name out of contention.

The Cougars were 17-11 this past season, the third straight year under Herrion that their victory total fell.

“We’ve got some work to do, but we’re excited to do it,” said Cremins, who’ll turn 59 on Tuesday.

AP-ES-07-02-06 1223EDT