Coach Johnson expressed interest in Tennessee's vacancy in November

[Vespidae]

Johnson would win national titles at any of the teams that recruit themselves a la Tenn, Aub, Neb, SoCal, etc. He's not a strong recruiter, that's the only weakness imo. I just wish the haters would at least be fair. Don't just say his offense is **** and outdated and won't work without acknowledging what he would do with Clemson's, SoCal's, or Tenn's roster (their roster isn't as bad as some of you TN cats are making it out). The dude is one of the best coaches in college football, he just can't recruit worth a damn. That's the true story and there's really no grey area about it.

I think CPJ is a good coach, especially game day. He could coach a team an NC. But there is so much more to being the head coach at a major school ... recruiting, merchandising, facilities, game prep, press ... much of which he’s not inclined to do. I think that’s why he is at Tech.

 

[iceeater1969]

I think CPJ is a good coach, especially game day. He could coach a team an NC. But there is so much more to being the head coach at a major school ... recruiting, merchandising, facilities, game prep, press ... much of which he’s not inclined to do. I think that’s why he is at Tech.

Yea, at tech we dont need a coach that is ape crazy about .... because it is what it is.

 

[Old South Stands]

Um I think three ACC Coastal Championships, an ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl victory pretty much demonstrates his offense is quite dangerous. If it was not why do teams dedicate 30 plus % of practice to it. Why do coaches, like Malzahn come visit CPJ and study his offense.

^ This. I think CPJ is as good a fit as any at Tech and I'd like to see him retire here. With the exception of a couple seasons, the D has primarily been the Achilles heel of Paul Johnson-coached teams. I don't know why the D has never really been consistent here under Coach Johnson, but you can't fault the offensive output of most of his teams. As far as personality, it may be unfair to gauge the man, not knowing him except via the media. People I know who've met him or played under him (I know one of his old players at Navy) all said they liked CPJ in person. One of my friends flew him on a couple recruiting trips and said he was funny as all get out.

Winning has become so paramount these days, and alumni & fan bases (even at non-factory schools) are ridiculously short-sighted and impatient. There are probably 30 div-1 schools around the country that all believe they have a legitimate shot at the title, and if they don't get it within a certain number of years, the alumni and fans go ape and want the coach gone. Think about it.... There are significantly more div-1 (FBS) teams than NFL teams, all competing for just one trophy. That leaves a lot of disappointed fan bases each year, each one thinking they deserve a championship. Perhaps the old ranking system was better than the current playoff system with so many teams in the mix. In the old system, win out your schedule and you have a reasonable shot.

To this day there are still NFL teams that have never won the Super Bowl, even within a league much smaller than the current pool of div-1 college teams. Tech and UGA have both won 1 NC during the Super Bowl era, competing against a considerably larger pool of teams than the Falcons, who've never hoisted the trophy.

But even winning a conference title is difficult. UGA, I think, has only won the SEC twice since Coach Dooley, and we've won the ACC only a couple times in that same period. Meanwhile, the ACC is becoming tougher and tougher to compete in with each passing year. The bottom line, it's very difficult to win in today's climate -- even harder to do it ethically. Looking at our history since about 1965, I don't think changing a coach would bring real dividends in the long run. The culture on the Hill is the real constant in this equation. Unless the Hill changes, you won't see much overall improvement in Tech athletics. Then there's still the factories to compete against. Coach Johnson has done as well as I could have expected when he was hired, all things being equal. And he seems to do right by his players.

 

[MacDaddy2]

17-19 over the past 3 years. Win or GTFO, to use his phrase if they are looking they aren't committed and we should be looking too. Well CPJ that same theory should apply to coaches.

 

[Skeptic]

If Coach Johnson does not have a better record this season he may be really looking for a job. I don't think Stansbury is going to wait to make a change if he does not see progress.

As far as CPJ's loyalty, he does not have that. He has always referred to Georgia Tech as they and not as we. If you notice he uses that term to compare his record at Tech to previous coaches. I think that is standard in 90% of people that work for a living now a days. Loyalty has become a rare commodity.

I feel the same about Coach Johnson. He is being paid to do a job. If he does it well, he will be kept and rewarded, if not we will move on and look for someone who can do a better job.

Go Jackets!

Geez. I would have thought 10 years would count for something.

 

[MacDaddy2]

Geez. I would have thought 10 years would count for something.

yes, a gold watch and a thank you

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

yes, a gold watch and a thank you

 

[RonJohn]

As far as personality, it may be unfair to gauge the man, not knowing him except via the media. People I know who've met him or played under him (I know one of his old players at Navy) all said they liked CPJ in person. One of my friends flew him on a couple recruiting trips and said he was funny as all get out.

If you listen to him in media interviews outside of Atlanta, he comes across very well. In respect to press conferences, most coaches(college and professional) don't "perform" well during those. However, those are set up as reporters asking questions to report on. CPJ in press conferences sometimes cracks jokes, but most of the time it is after a game or after practice and he appears to be trying to answer questions in between game/practice and getting back to the team/work. That is what most coaches are doing and how most coaches appear. I believe most of the people who complain about his media presence are complaining about how he does on 680 "flagship" station interviews. The problem with those interviews is that you have *******es who want to argue instead of interview conducting the interviews, not CPJ.

 

[buzzed]

It’s funny how when CPJ isn’t coming off a great season his personality suddenly becomes an issue. I find his personality to be close to Nick Saban’s, except he’s less of an a**hole and has a much better sense of humor. The difference in their “personality” is mostly the difference in winning percentage, and for anyone who isn’t fooling themselves, that difference is much more about the difference in the schools, and a lot less about the coaches. When coach sticks his neck out there to try to improve the program in ways outside of football, GT fans don’t want to hear the truth. I personally hope CPJ keeps pushing the institute for more resources and stays as long as wants.

 

[B Lifsey]

I think folks that already dislike him cherry pick those interviews to support their argument. They don't care to hear about other interviews.

 

[4shotB]

It’s funny how when CPJ isn’t coming off a great season his personality suddenly becomes an issue.

This isn't unique to CPJ btw. It's a function of the W's and L's. When CBC was taking the Jackets to their string of MCAA tournaments, he was lovingly referred to as the "silver haired whacko". After the magic faded, and especially after the USC fiasco, the same person was described as "distracted", "lost focus"."can't adapt". etc. Nothing about the man changed...his record did. Probably CPJ understands better than most here, it really doesn't matter what you say or day at the end of the day, it's the bottom line.

For you older guys who remember Pepper, he was funny, engaged with the media and all those things some people hope that Paul would be. Great guy who got fired because he wasn't winning enough. Ironically, they (GT community) wanted CPR to be like CPJ. All of this is smoke and mirrors discussion related to frustration with the bottom line, especially in 2 of the last 3 seasons.

Bellichik and Saban have the recipe figured out on how to keep the "personality issue" from becoming more than faint background noise.

 

[Vespidae]

My two cents.

College football forever changed around 1970. It's pointless to look at records prior this as the conditions changed due to integration. Not only did the game change, but the athletes changed as well. Schools like Tech and Tennessee suddenly found that recruiting in Atlanta (Tech) or Tennessee just wasn't going to cut it. The schools that made the transition did well ...those that didn't are still feeling it.

Would I like to win an NC again at Tech? Yes. But the odds are against it. Unlike Alabama whose fans DEMAND an NC every year (not the least of which, there is really nothing else to look forward to in Alabama), Tech does not. Add to that the issue of recruiting students, some schools (like Alabama) depend on football success to positively promote the school. Studies show that winning schools have a higher degree of better quality kids applying, more National Merit finalists, etc. Tech has those in droves already ... so athletics is less of an issue to promote the school.

At this point, I'm frigging delighted that the kids Tech does recruit are still able to compete at the FBS level. Despite it all, Tech is still one of the top 125 schools in the nation ... even with all the headwinds. I've love to see us more consistent, but can't really complain. We are not a football school ... what we are is a one of the Top 50 schools in the world who happen to still be competitive in athletics regardless of whether we win an NC or not.

Anyway, I buy season tix and will continue to do so. I support any coach that steps into this situation knowing full well that the priority is academics and reputation and not just winning games. Paul Johnson did and I thank him for that. I wish he would do a few things different, but overall ... we've done ok.

 

[Vespidae]

Bellichik and Saban have the recipe figured out on how to keep the "personality issue" from becoming more than faint background noise.

One thing we often overlook is that financial condition of the AA. There are few resources because a good bulk of the budget is dedicated to paying off debt and coaches who no longer work here. As these legacy costs go away, we should see more investment into athletics just because the cash flow is improving. I for one am optimistic.

 

[grandpa jacket]

CPJ might be feeling the heat of an hotseat that no one was expecting

I was expecting the hot seat after last year, if he doesnt make significant progress in this upcoming season, i believe he is a goner.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

I was expecting the hot seat after last year, if he doesnt make significant progress in this upcoming season, i believe he is a goner.

I think so also but i think CPJ is the type to see the writing on the wall and if things go badly in 2018 would announce his retirement at the end of the season rather than let himself be fired

 

[4shotB]

I think so also but i think CPJ is the type to see the writing on the wall and if things go badly in 2018 would announce his retirement at the end of the season rather than let himself be fired

Interesting. Retirement is voluntarily stepping away from a significant amount of money that he would otherwise get if fired. I'm not exactly sure how I would handle that situation. Fortunately, I have never been in that situation of choosing to resign or be fired. Unfortunately, I have never worked under a contract with the buyout options these guys get either!

 

[Vespidae]

I think so also but i think CPJ is the type to see the writing on the wall and if things go badly in 2018 would announce his retirement at the end of the season rather than let himself be fired

For what I have heard, CPJ loves coaching at Tech despite his complaints. And at his age, he’s going to retire from Tech in the next 2-3 years. (He has said as much.)

The goal now is to get the program competitive and organize a good handoff to whoever the next coach is. No Air Currie looking for a coach. I think this is the most likely outcome.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

For what I have heard, CPJ loves coaching at Tech despite his complaints. And at his age, he’s going to retire from Tech in the next 2-3 years. (He has said as much.)

The goal now is to get the program competitive and organize a good handoff to whoever the next coach is. No Air Currie looking for a coach. I think this is the most likely outcome.

 

[Skeptic]

I think so also but i think CPJ is the type to see the writing on the wall and if things go badly in 2018 would announce his retirement at the end of the season rather than let himself be fired

I followed Johnson some at Navy, and was excited when Tech hired him. Others know more about him obviously. TV sideline shots, newspapers and message boards is all I know of the man. Given that, I still wonder: what part of Paul Johnson says "quitter"? I haven't seen it. I have seen him on the sideline late in games, trailing and still fighting to get back in the game against the odds, and sometimes winning. I have read about some of his halftime tirades, particularly the classic blistering in his first Georgia-GT game with the good guys down 28-12, awaiting the fork because they were done. They decided fighting Georgia was easier than fighting Johnson and came back to win my favorite grudge game of all time. It is a long way around the barn to say Johnson believes in what he does and he is not going to quit. He won't run. It is not in the man's DNA. He will be punching. That's why he's perfect for GT, and I can accept that sometimes difficult personality -- let's admit it -- and his sometimes petulant and churlish nature.

 

[Old South Stands]

For you older guys who remember Pepper, he was funny, engaged with the media and all those things some people hope that Paul would be. Great guy who got fired because he wasn't winning enough. Ironically, they (GT community) wanted CPR to be like CPJ. All of this is smoke and mirrors discussion related to frustration with the bottom line, especially in 2 of the last 3 seasons.

As a coach, Coach Johnson reminds me of a cross between Pepper Rodgers and Bobby Ross, if you ever could imagine such a thing. After tough games, Coach Ross would talk about "our kids fighting and fighting" to overcome adversity and win. Going back and watching some of those old post-game interviews, he sounded a lot like Coach Johnson. Coach Ross was all seriousness, but CPJ also had some of the funny-factor Coach Rodgers had. Of all the coaches who've been at the Flats in my lifetime, those three are my personal favorites.

Pepper Rodgers, perhaps more than any other individual, was the reason I became a Tech fan in the first place. I always looked forward to his TV shows the next day following a game. Remember, in those days you rarely saw Tech play live on TV. Usually we listened to the games on the radio, then caught up on all the highlights the next day on Coach Rodgers's show where they'd show the game film. The show was always very entertaining. I was talking with my wife the other day and explaining how, at his football camp in '77, I was fighting like mad to get his attention because I fully intended to play for him at Tech one day. Even though it would be another 8 years before I graduated high school, I looked at those two weeks as an audition... and eventually came away with the "best defensive lineman" award for my age group. Funny the things that go through a kid's mind at that age! One of my favorite memories of that time was him talking with my dad at the end of camp in the old film room. They talked together for about 20 minutes, reminiscing about life at Tech the way it was back in the '50s.