He then spent eight seasons as offensive coordinator at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 1987 to 1994. Their offense averaged 372 points scored per season during his 8 years there and won 54 games.[4] While at Hawaii he would coach future collegiate head coach Ken Niumatalolo. In 1992 they would finish with their best record in school history at 11–2, including a win in the Holiday Bowl over the University of Illinois. They would also win the Western Athletic Conference title that season.
In 1995 and 1996, he served as the offensive coordinator at the United States Naval Academy and brought his option offense with him. In 1996, Navy recorded its first winning season in 14 years, going 9–3 with a victory in the Aloha Bowl. Their 9–3 record was the best since 1978 and their 392 points scored were the most in school history up to that point.[5]
Johnson began his head coaching career by returning to Georgia Southern, which he led from 1997 through 2001. During his tenure, the Eagles captured the Division I-AA National Championship twice more in 1999 and 2000, and finished as runner-up in 1998. During his tenure as head coach, they finished with a record of 62–10 (86.1% winning rate).[3]
Johnson is one of only four coaches to record 50 wins in his first four seasons as head coach at the Division I level.[6]
Navy (2002–2007)
Johnson at a Navy game against the Duke Blue Devils in 2004.
In 2002, Johnson departed Georgia Southern and returned to Navy as head coach. Johnson's initial season saw the Midshipmen win only two of 12 games, though the season ended on a high note with his first victory over Army, which would not beat Navy again until 2016. Subsequently, Johnson's teams enjoyed a high degree of success.
The 2003 team completed the regular season with an 8–4 mark, including wins over both Air Force and Army, and earned a berth in the Houston Bowl, Navy's first bowl game since 1996. However, the Midshipmen lost to Texas Tech, 38–14.
In 2004, Johnson's team posted the program's best record since 1957, finishing the regular season at 9–2 and once again earning a bowl berth, this time in the Emerald Bowl. There Johnson coached the Midshipmen to a win over New Mexico, 34–19, the fifth bowl win in the school's history. The win gave Navy 10 wins on the season, tying a school record that had stood since 1905. For his efforts, Johnson received the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.
Johnson dominated the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy competition, going 11–1 (.917) in his six years, with the only loss against another service academy coming at the hands of Air Force in his first season. He was the first coach in Navy's history to go 6–0 in his first six seasons against Army (Ken Niumatalolo, who followed Johnson at Navy, went 8–0 against Army in his first eight seasons), and his 2006 senior class was the first in Navy history to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy all four of their years.
Much of Johnson's success was predicated on his triple optionflexbone offense, a run-oriented attack that led NCAA Division I-A/FBS football in rushing yards three of his last four years at Navy. Some[who?] have criticized the triple option as gimmick offense unfit for major college football, which may have explained the reluctance of some top programs to offer him a position despite his accomplishments at both Georgia Southern and Navy. Johnson rebutted this argument in numerous press conferences and interviews, asserting that several top teams, including 2005 national championTexas and 2006 national champion Florida, used various forms of the option. In 2008, Johnson told ESPN's Mark Schlabach, "If we can run it against Boston College at Navy, why can't we run it against Boston College at Georgia Tech? If we can beat Pitt with this system at Navy, why can't we beat Pitt at Georgia Tech? Are we going to get worse players at Georgia Tech?"[7]
In 2007, he led Navy to beat Notre Dame for the first time since 1963. Navy won in triple overtime, 46-44, ending a 43-game losing streak against Notre Dame.
Georgia Tech (2008–2018)
On December 7, 2007, Johnson accepted the head coaching job at the Georgia Institute of Technology.[8][9] Johnson, who came to Georgia Tech in December after a six-year tenure at Navy, inherited a young roster with reduced numbers because of an NCAA probation. Only 76 players were on scholarship, below the maximum of 85, including three senior walk-ons who were awarded scholarships prior to the start of the season. The roster included 75 freshmen and sophomores; 16 of 22 starters were underclassmen.[8][10]Sports Illustrated predicted Johnson's first Yellow Jacket team would win three games and finish fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division.
In 2008, Johnson led the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to a 9–4 record.[2] Georgia Tech was 6–1 at home in games played at Bobby Dodd Stadium and 4–2 against ranked opponents, including three wins in November against Florida State, Miami, and Georgia. Georgia Tech, ranked 14th in the BCS standings and 15th in the AP Poll, finished the regular season with a 9–3 record. Though they tied for first place in their division with a 5–3 conference record, the Yellow Jackets failed to advance to the ACC Championship Game by virtue of an early-season loss to eventual ACC champion, Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech accepted a bid to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, where they were defeated by LSU, 38–3.
Johnson's 2008 Georgia Tech team featured one first-team All-American (Michael Johnson), the ACC Player of the Year (Jonathan Dwyer), and eight first team, second team, and honorable mention All-ACC selections.[11] On December 2, 2008, Johnson was tabbed as ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA). He said, "This is an honor for the football program at Georgia Tech, the coaching staff and the players. There are a lot of great coaches in the ACC, so it's humbling to win such a prestigious honor."[12] Johnson was also named 2008 National Coach of the year by CBSSports.com on the same day.
In 2009, Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to an 11–3 record, including the school's first win at Florida State in school history, and a victory over #4 Virginia Tech in Atlanta, which broke a 17-game home losing streak to top five opponents, and the program's first win over Virginia in Charlottesville since 1990.[13] After a defeat at the hands of Miami in the third week of the season, Georgia Tech won its next eight games, rising as high as #7 in the AP Poll, before losing to unranked rival Georgia in Atlanta to end the regular season. Georgia Tech finished a league-best 7–1 in ACC play and defeated Clemson in the ACC Championship Game for the school's first outright conference championship since 1990. This current title has been vacated by the NCAA for rules violations, which stemmed from what the NCAA described as an isolated instance of former standout wide receiver Demaryius Thomas allegedly receiving $312 in impermissible gifts, and grew to Morgan Burnett allegedly taking gifts and misleading NCAA investigators. Both players denied these allegations and Georgia Tech filed an appeal, which was denied.[14][15][16][17]
Following the end of the regular season, Johnson received ACC Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year, becoming the only Georgia Tech head coach in history to win the award in his first two seasons. The Yellow Jackets were paired in the Orange Bowl with the 10th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa beat Georgia Tech 24–14, sending Johnson to 0–2 in bowls at Georgia Tech.
In 2010, Georgia Tech started the season ranked 16th in the AP Poll. However, the team suffered a number of high-profile injuries, including to starting quarterback Joshua Nesbitt. The team finished the regular season 6–6 and lost in the Independence Bowl to Air Force 14–7.
In 2011, Johnson led the team to its first 6–0 start since 1990 and set a number of school offensive records in the team's 66–24 blowout of Kansas. Johnson proceeded to lose two consecutive games to Virginia and Miami before defeating then #5 Clemson 31–17. The team finished the regular season with an 8–4 record, and then lost to Utah in the Sun Bowl on December 31, 2011.
In 2012, Johnson's Yellow Jackets got off to a slow start at 3–5, when then defensive coordinator Al Groh was terminated by Johnson. With Charles Kelly coaching the defense thereafter, Georgia Tech won its next three games, and clinched a spot in the 2012 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. Though the Jackets were defeated by Florida State 21–15, the Tech defense shut out the Seminoles in the second half. The Jackets finished the season with a 21–7 win over the preseason #1 team, USC, in the Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
In 2013, Georgia Tech led Georgia 20–0 in the second quarter and 27–17 in the fourth quarter before losing 41–34 in double overtime. The Jackets finished the year 7–6 after a 23–17 loss to Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl.
In 2014, Johnson led Georgia Tech to their fourth Coastal Division title during his tenure and a spot in the 2014 ACC Championship Game. Johnson and the Jackets were predicted to finish sixth in the Coastal division by ESPN in the preseason,[18][19] but again went beyond expectations and achieved a 10-win regular season, first place in the Coastal Division, and a 10th-place ranking in AP Poll. The Yellow Jackets fell two points short in the ACC title game to the defending national champions, Florida State, but were still selected for their second Orange Bowl berth in six seasons. The season saw the Jackets beat its key rivals Virginia Tech, Miami, Clemson and Georgia. On December 31, 2014, Paul Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to a big win in the CFP "Big 6" Orange Bowl. This was the second Orange Bowl Johnson's Jackets earned a bid to play. The other came against #11 Iowa on January 5, 2010. The 12th ranked Yellow Jackets dominated the game in the second half and finished their season with a 49–34 win over seventh-ranked Mississippi State.[20]
In 2015, Georgia Tech had its first losing season under Paul Johnson's tenure, going 3–9 that year. However, the Yellow Jackets did beat fifth-ranked Florida State at Bobby Dodd Stadium, blocking a field goal attempt and returning it for a touchdown as time expired.[21]
In 2016, Johnson led Georgia Tech to a bounce-back 9–4 season. After starting 3-3, Georgia Tech won six out of its last 7, including wins against nationally ranked Virginia Tech and Georgia. They would eventually beat Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Bowl 33–18, and finished #26 in the AP Poll.
Tech had yet another disappointing season under Johnson in 2017, going 5–6. This marked the second time the Jackets missed out on a bowl game during Johnson's tenure. Georgia Tech lost five out of six games by a touchdown or less.
In 2018, Georgia Tech finished the regular season 7–5 with wins over ACC foes Miami and Virginia Tech. Tech also finished 2nd in the ACC Coastal Division, marking the 7th time his teams have finished in 1st or 2nd place. Johnson announced his retirement on November 28, 2018, effective following the team's bowl game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.[22]
Personal life
Johnson met his wife, Susan (Propst), when both were students at Western Carolina University, and they married in 1980.[23] They have a daughter, Kaitlyn, who was born in 1993.[24]
↑ Due to NCAA sanctions, Georgia Tech was forced to vacate all contests won after November 24, 2009 during the 2009 season, which included the ACC Championship victory.[14] The school submitted an appeal of these sanctions on September 9, 2011, which was denied.[15][17]
Related Research Articles
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology, located in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are eight men's and seven women's teams that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics and the Football Bowl Subdivision. Georgia Tech is a member of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football program represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in the sport of American football. The Yellow Jackets college football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Georgia Tech has fielded a football team since 1892 and, as of 2020, has an all-time record of 754-538-43 through the 2022 season. The Yellow Jackets play in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in Atlanta, Georgia, holding a stadium max capacity of 55,000.
The Clemson Tigers are the American football team at Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In recent years, the Tigers have been ranked among the most elite college football programs in the United States.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in McCamish Pavilion on the school's Atlanta campus and is currently coached by Damon Stoudamire. Bobby Cremins led his team to the first ACC tournament victory in school history in 1985 and in 1990 he took Georgia Tech to the school's first Final Four appearance ever. Cremins retired from Georgia Tech in 2000 with the school's best winning percentage as a head coach. The Yellow Jackets returned to the Final Four in 2004 under Paul Hewitt and lost in the national title game, losing to UConn. Overall, the team has won 1,352 games and lost 1,226 games, a .524 win percentage.
The 2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's coach is former Navy Midshipmen and Georgia Southern Eagles coach Paul Johnson. Georgia Tech plays their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2006 Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a regular-season American football game to determine the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech by a 9–6 score to win its first ACC football championship since 1970 and its second in school history. The game was held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida and was the concluding game of the regular season for each team.
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the sport of American football. The Hokies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They previously competed in the Big East. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium, located in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a seating capacity of over 65,000 fans. Lane Stadium is considered to be one of the loudest stadiums in the country, being voted number two in ESPN's 2007 "Top 20 Scariest Places to Play". It was also recognized in 2005 by Rivals.com as having the best home-field advantage in the country.
The 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl game featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Iowa won the game 24–14, securing the Hawkeyes' first major bowl win since the 1959 Rose Bowl.
The 2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by second year head coach Paul Johnson. Georgia Tech played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field in Atlanta.
The 2009 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2009 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech defeated Clemson, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, 39–34. However, Georgia Tech was forced to vacate the game victory and the conference title in 2011 due to sanctions stemming from an NCAA investigation.
The Clemson–Georgia Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Clemson Tigers football team of Clemson University and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of Georgia Tech. Both schools are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Since conference expansion in 2005, Clemson represents the Atlantic Division while Georgia Tech plays in the Coastal Division, and they are cross-divisional rivals which play every year.
The 1990 Georgia Tech vs. Virginia football game is an American college football game played on November 3, 1990, between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Virginia Cavaliers. Georgia Tech won by a score of 41–38 over top-ranked Virginia. The game was decided by a 37-yard field goal by Scott Sisson with seven seconds remaining. Georgia Tech went on to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship and a share of the national championship.
The 2011 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cavaliers were led by second-year head coach Mike London and played their home games at Scott Stadium. They were members of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Virginia had an 8–5 overall record on the season with a 5–3 mark in the ACC play to finish in a tie for second place in the Coastal Division. The Cavaliers appeared in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll for the first time since 2007. Memorable moments from the season include: upsetting #12-ranked and undefeated Georgia Tech and defeating Florida State in Tallahassee for the first time in school history. They also became the first team in NCAA history to win road games against the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida State Seminoles in the same season. They were invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where they were defeated by Auburn, 43–24.
The 2011 Hyundai Sun Bowl, the 78th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on December 31, 2011 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas as part of the 2011–12 NCAA Bowl season.
The 2014 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by seventh-year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 2015 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by eighth-year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They were a member of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 3–9, 1–7 in ACC play to finish in last place in the Coastal Division, losing six games by a margin of just seven points or less.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Yellow Jackets represent the Georgia Institute of Technology in the NCAA's Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 2018 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by head coach Paul Johnson in his eleventh season on the job. They played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They competed as a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in ACC play to finish in second place in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the Quick Lane Bowl where they lost to Minnesota.
The 2022 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by Geoff Collins until his firing early in the season and then were subsequently led by interim coach Brent Key.
↑ Tony Barnhart (December 7, 2007). "Tech, Johnson agree to deal". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
