Paul Johnson (American football coach)

College coach infobox
Name = Paul Johnson

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ImageWidth =
Caption =
Title = Head coach
College = Georgia Tech
Sport = Football
Conference = Atlantic Coast Conference
CurrentRecord = 4-1
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1957|8|20|mf=y
Birthplace = flagicon|North Carolina Newland, N.C
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
OverallRecord = 105–39
Contract =
BowlRecord = 2–2
TournamentRecord =
CFbDWID = 2662
Championships = 1999, 2000 NCAA I-AA National Champion
Awards = 2004 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year
2000 AFCA NCAA I-AA Coach of the Year
1999 AFCA NCAA I-AA Coach of the Year
1998 Sports Network I-AA Coach of the Year
1998 Eddie Robinson Award
1997, 1998 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
CoachingRecords =
Player =
Years =
Team =
Position =
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1981–1982
1983–1984
1985–1986
1987–1994
1995–1996
1997–2001 2002–2007
2008-"present"
CoachTeams = Lees-McRae (OC)
Ga. Southern (DL)
Ga. Southern (OC)
Hawaiokinai (OC)
Navy (OC)
Georgia Southern
Navy
Georgia Tech
FootballHOF =
CollegeHOFID =
BBallHOF =

Paul Johnson (born birth date|1957|8|20 in Newland, North Carolina) is the head coach of football at the Georgia Institute of Technology.cite web | url=http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120707aab.html | title=Paul Johnson Named Georgia Tech's Head Football Coach | publisher=Ramblinwreck.com | date=2007-12-07 | accessdate=2007-12-07] He is a Western Carolina University graduate [cite web | title =Paul Johnson, Class of ’79, Physical Education| publisher =Western Carolina University| date =2008| url =http://www.wcu.edu/306.asp] and was previously the head coach of both the United States Naval Academy and Georgia Southern University.

Coaching

Prior to becoming a head coach, Johnson spent eight seasons as offensive coordinator at the University of Hawai'i from 1987 to 1994. He helped lead the Rainbow Warriors to their first Western Athletic Conference title and their first bowl appearance and victory, in the 1992 Holiday Bowl. In 1995 and 1996, he served as Navy offensive coordinator and brought his option offense with him. In 1996, Navy recorded its first winning season in 14 years, going 9-3, including a victory at the Aloha Bowl.

Georgia Southern

Johnson formerly served as the head coach at Georgia Southern University. During his time at Georgia Southern, the Eagles captured the NCAA Division I-AA national football championships in 1999 and 2000, and finished as runners-up in 1998. He is also one of only four coaches to ever record 50 wins in their first four seasons as head coach at the Division I level.cite web | url=http://www.fansonly.com/photos/schools/navy/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/4-2006-Coaches-fb.pdf | title=Coaches Sections of 2006 Navy football Media Guide | format=PDF | dateaccess=2006-08-04]

Navy

In 2002, Johnson departed Georgia Southern for Navy. Johnson's initial season saw the Midshipmen win only two of twelve contests, although the season ended on a high note with his first victory over Army. Subsequently, Johnson's teams have 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 EV1.net Houston Bowl, Navy's first bowl game since 1996. However, the Midshipmen lost to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 38-14. In 2004, Johnson's team posted Navy's best start in over 30 years,Fact|date=December 2007 finishing the regular season 9-2 and once again earning a bowl berth, this time in the Emerald Bowl. Johnson coached the Mids to a win over New Mexico 34-19, the fifth bowl win in the school's history. That gave Navy 10 wins on the season, tying the record for wins at Navy, which had stood since 1905. Coincidentally, this was the season that Johnson won the NCAA Coach of the Year honors. The 2005 squad recorded a final mark of 8-4, which was highlighted by victories over Army, Air Force, and Colorado State in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl. In 2007, Johnson coached the Midshipmen to their first win over rival Notre Dame since 1963, winning 46-44 in triple-overtime.

Coach Johnson has dominated the Commander in Chief's Trophy competition, going 9-1 (.900) in his five years, with the only loss against another service academy coming at the hands of Air Force in his first season. He is the only coach in Navy's history to go 6-0 in his first six seasons against Army, and his 2006-07 senior class was the first in Navy history to win the Commander in Chief's Trophy for all four years.

Much of Johnson's success has been predicated on his triple option flexbone offense, a run oriented attack that has led NCAA Division I-A/FBS football in rushing yards three of the last four years. Some have criticized the triple option as an antiquated, unbalanced system unfit for major college football, which may explain some BCS teams' reluctance to offer him a position despite his accomplishments at both Georgia Southern and Navy. Johnson has rebutted this argument in numerous press conferences and interviews, asserting that several top teams, including 2005-2006 national champion Texas and 2006-2007 national champion Florida, use various forms of the option. He has repeatedly stated that the superior athletes in power conferences could help the triple option flourish.Fact|date=December 2007

However Johnson has also stated that if he had a good throwing quarterback he would use the pass more often.Fact|date=December 2007

Georgia Tech

On December 7, 2007, Paul Johnson accepted the head coaching job at Georgia Tech. [cite web | url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/gatech/stories/2007/12/07/gtfoot_1208.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab | title=Tech, Johnson agree to deal | publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | author=Tony Barnhart | date=2007-12-07 | accessdate=2007-12-07] As of October 8, 2008 he has led the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to a 4-1 start.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Georgia Southern Eagles
startyear = 1997
conf = Southern Conference
endyear = 2001CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1997
name = Georgia Southern
overall = 10–3
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Div I-AA Quarterfinals
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1998
name = Georgia Southern
overall = 14–1
conference = 8–0
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Div I-AA Championship
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = national
year = 1999
name = Georgia Southern
overall = 13–2
conference = 7–1
confstanding = T-1st
bowlname = Div I-AA Championship
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = national
year = 2000
name = Georgia Southern
overall = 13–2
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Div I-AA Championship
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2001
name = Georgia Southern
overall = 12–2
conference = 7–1
confstanding = T-1st
bowlname = Div I-AA Semifinals
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Georgia Southern
overall = 62–10
confrecord = 36–4CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Navy Midshipmen
startyear = 2002
conf = Independent
endyear = 2007CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2002
name = Navy
overall = 2–10
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2003
name = Navy
overall = 8–5
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = EV1.net Houston Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2004
name = Navy
overall = 10–2
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Emerald Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = 24CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2005
name = Navy
overall = 8–4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Poinsettia Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2006
name = Navy
overall = 9–4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Meineke Car Care Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2007
name = Navy
overall = 8–4*
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome = NA*
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Navy
overall = 45–29
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
startyear = 2008
conf = Atlantic Coast Conference
endyear = presentCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2008
name = Georgia Tech
overall = 4-1
conference = 2-1
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Georgia Tech
overall = 4-1
confrecord = 2-1CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 111–40
bcs =
poll = two
polltype =
extrafootnotes = *left for Georgia Tech before the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl

Personal

Johnson and his wife, Susan, have a daughter named Kaitlyn. He earned his Bachelor of Science in physical education from Western Carolina University in 1979, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He also earned a Master of Science in health and physical education from Appalachian State University in 1982.

References

External links

* [http://navysports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/johnson_paul00.html Bio at Navy Athletics Website]