How Coach Johnson Stacks up among former YellowJacket Coaches!

[00Burdell]

All the OP shows is that statistics are misleading.

Statistics are facts and, hence, aren't misleading.

Reading them with a bias, however, is.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Johnson walked into a stable situation with good talent, as his first two years with Gailey's talent shows. He then proceeded to have a losing record against FBS teams over the next four years with his talent.

I don't agree with all of this. I agree that CPJ was left with two season's worth of starting talent. After that, heck no. As for the the losing records, as I stated first, all that "talent" was history after 2009 save for a couple a guys. On top of that, he didn't have a full go at the 2008 recruiting class, he came in late in the process.

On top of that, transitions are tough for anybody, anywhere. CPJ's transitional growing pains were delayed a couple of years due to that initial starting talent. Notice how I specifically say "starting" talent. That's because there was NOBODY behind it. Guess who becomes the starters when the previous starters leave??? I also strongly believe transitions are tougher on GT coaches. It takes time to learn how to attack our unique set of challenges, more time than just about anywhere else.

I know one thing for sure, I'm darn glad he was given a longer leash and not run off or fired like so many of the GT message board jockeys wanted.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Johnson walked into a stable situation with good talent, as his first two years with Gailey's talent shows.

Would want more information on this before I could agree to it.

My memory is that recruiting staff had been cut, the administration had taken a hard line on academic exceptions due to past infractions and the depth chart was way out of whack, particularly short on good offensive linemen. But I had never looked at the possibility that it was stable before so I will have to think about that.

One other thing that comes to mind is that the players he inherited really did not like him in some cases. Even those who stuck around for a year before leaving the program early had a tendency to talk the program down, even doing so after they left. That can really hinder recruiting for a few years. Bobby Ross had the same problem and he almost left Tech as a result until he "suddenly" turned things around with a national championship. What Ross and Johnson both have in common is a commitment to a systematic approach in the face of fierce criticism. I think Johnson will hang around longer because, unlike Ross, I do not think the harping negative naysayers have burned him out the way they did Ross.

 

[DrJacket]

What Ross and Johnson both have in common is a commitment to a systematic approach in the face of fierce criticism. I think Johnson will hang around longer because, unlike Ross, I do not think the harping negative naysayers have burned him out the way they did Ross.

My read would be that Coach cares about what the naysayers think probably a little more than people might guess.

But...and this is critical...he still cares less than most coaches probably would.

Both CPJ and Mrs. CPJ are keenly attuned to how many have suddenly jumped onto the bandwagon over the last year. And, how quickly that wagon would thin out with a lukewarm season. Some of the same people who sing his praises today did deep personal harm to them in the lean years. That comes with the job, of course.

He keeps his head down and does his job. His judgment of how the program is doing--at any minute-- is astute. His list of whose opinion truly counts is pretty short--and again--accurate probably. Like any other human alive, deep down he would like to be beloved. But, he's willing to finish this out someday and let history take care of the rest.

 

[Skeptic]

Well I'll say this. He's the best coach in the ACC.

You're right, and I still contend that until the ACC gets coaches as competitive, combative and determined as Johnson --warm and fuzzy is fine, but winning is finer -- it will rank as No. 5 in the tier of conferences. The ACC needs guys with an attitude.

 

[Skeptic]

Curry walked into an awful mess at the GTAA. O'Leary walked into a terrible post Lewis mess. Ross was a very different personality than Curry, which created a mess. Gailey created his own mess with flunkgate and not understanding GT academics.

Johnson walked into a stable situation with good talent, as his first two years with Gailey's talent shows. He then proceeded to have a losing record against FBS teams over the next four years with his talent.

Johnson has had one good year with his recruits.

All the OP shows is that statistics are misleading. No two GT coaches have faced the same issues and culture, so comparing them statistically is useless.

Yeah, well. Too bad Gailey didn't win with Gailey's talent shows.

 

[DrJacket]

You're right, and I still contend that until the ACC gets coaches as competitive, combative and determined as Johnson --warm and fuzzy is fine, but winning is finer -- it will rank as No. 5 in the tier of conferences. The ACC needs guys with an attitude.

All of the elite CFB coaches are competitive. But, you're right-- the conference would be made better with better competitors. And, I do believe some of those have come into the conference over the last few years. We need more.

CPJ is the most hyper-competitive human I have ever met. It's in his DNA. He wants to beat you at anything there is to compete at. He can't "not" do it. Friend, foe, child, parent, sibling--it's on with you if it can be competed at. And, most anything can be turned into a competition.

 

[Fatmike91]

We can compare and rank our coaches based on how much our rivals and opponents dislike playing against us. By that measure, Johnson ranks quite high.


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[DrJacket]

We can compare and rank our coaches based on how much our rivals and opponents dislike playing against us. By that measure, Johnson ranks quite high.


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I will never forget hearing this quote from a UGA fan: "I'm just glad that Paul Johnson doesn't have our players. Every year, he drags that bunch of 3-stars in and wears our butts out. If he had our roster, they'd be unbeatable."

 

[Skeptic]

I will never forget hearing this quote from a UGA fan: "I'm just glad that Paul Johnson doesn't have our players. Every year, he drags that bunch of 3-stars in and wears our butts out. If he had our roster, they'd be unbeatable."

And of course that one from his former QB at Hawaii and successor as head coach at Navy, whose name I will not even attempt to spell, about looking across the field at the other guys and wondering how in the world Hawaii was scoring on them. Made him a believer, as subsequent events show. If only we would pass more ... (And before this generates a whole new thread on chunking it around, I am joking.)

 

[GTL]

What Ross and Johnson both have in common is a commitment to a systematic approach in the face of fierce criticism. I think Johnson will hang around longer because, unlike Ross, I do not think the harping negative naysayers have burned him out the way they did Ross.

Ross was upset by a perceived lack of support during and after the NC year, but make no mistake, he was absolutely NFL bound.

I don't think that Johnson has a burning desire to coach NFL like Ross did, plus it's unlikely an owner would give him a shot....BUT....should Arthur Blank give PJ a ring and say "Hey, Paul! You think that high school offense of yours could work in the NFL?" what do you think PJ would say?

 

[Skeptic]

... I know one thing for sure, I'm darn glad he was given a longer leash and not run off or fired like so many of the GT message board jockeys wanted.

There was one board in particular, that just about every time I decided to sign up and write stupid stuff would explode in anti-Johnson tirades and worse, vitriol, then follow with political rants, followed by more anti-Johnson stuff that actually read to me as a plea for failure at Tech, followed by insults. I finally stopped reading it when all the football minds -- in my judgment -- just stopped showing up. I looked at the site last week and was amazed that it is almost defunct, which I suppose shows it is a one trick pony and needs failure to succeed. This is an excellent board and remarkably free of off-topic rants and personal attacks. I hope it can stay that way.

 

[Skeptic]

Ross was upset by a perceived lack of support during and after the NC year, but make no mistake, he was absolutely NFL bound.

I don't think that Johnson has a burning desire to coach NFL like Ross did, plus it's unlikely an owner would give him a shot....BUT....should Arthur Blank give PJ a ring and say "Hey, Paul! You think that high school offense of yours could work in the NFL?" what do you think PJ would say?

How many quarterbacks are allowed on the roster?

 

[Fatmike91]

Paul Johnson has won more games (58)
Paul Johnson ...............(7) 2008-2014....#58-35-0....624

# 2009 ACC Championship Game win vacated due to NCAAsanctions

Paul Johnson has won more games (59)
Paul Johnson ...............(7) 2008-2014....#59-35-0....624



FIFY. Really - your taking away our win in the ACC Championship Game????????? I was there. We won.


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[wishbone]

I love his offense. Very smart, fast and physical. Adapts and adjusts well to overcome and succeed. Fits our school.
Its a blast to watch .

 

[GTL]

How many quarterbacks are allowed on the roster?

lol!

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Different people have different strengths and weaknesses. You are blessed when your strengths match up with what is successful at the time. Adm Rickover, who was the father of the nuclear Navy, wouldn't even get started today since the interpersonal skills he had would not survive the PC culture today. But he got free reign to develop the nuclear Navy since we were "losing" the cold war and the Russians had beat us into space.

Of course Dodd or Heisman wouldn't do as well today if they employed the same methods they used then. To take people out of their time and try and project how they would do in a different time is impossible.

But you can rate how coaches and their programs do relative to others at that time. That is all I really think the historical power rankings do.

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to me to enjoy any great years we may have since they have been the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Ross was upset by a perceived lack of support during and after the NC year, but make no mistake, he was absolutely NFL bound.

I don't recall the quote exactly but he said something at the time like, "I am going to the NFL where the job I do will not be determined by fickle teenagers."

 

[PBR549]

I'm firmly convinced that GT is a different beast than most programs. I've watched every coach since CBC and what I've observed is a real difficulty for anyone staying a consistent winner year in and year out. The conventional fan mentality of "fire the coach" after a bad year obviously does not work at Tech. Having said that I hope we are getting wiser. I'm loving the direction CPJ and our staff are going and even if this year does not meet our lofty expectations we need to stay consistent with our support. IMO we will be better off in the long run.

 

[InsideLB]

We struggled for a few years with problems with poor special teams, poor recruiting (in no small part due to lack of support and high coaching staff turnover), and of course finding a D-coordinator worth a damn.

But Johnson was actively trying to fix the problems (e.g. canning DC's w/quick hook, hiring ST coordinator, recruiting kickers, hiring better recruiters for the staff, bugging whoever would listen for recruiting support, etc.). Meanwhile there were other aspects going well--academic progress, kids staying out of trouble, offensive success, etc. Given the cost of tearing down and the fact that we had a coach who was trying a lot of different ideas to get stuff fixed it made sense to me to stick with the guy...particularly in light of the promise 2008 & 2009 showed.

And today it appears a lot is fixed. Roof has the D playing physically and generating turnovers. Kicking game is decent and special teams are markedly improved. The offense was crazy good and the offensive line looks well-stocked. We have TWO more years of JT. Our staff has recruiting support and is recruiting well....guys like Lamar Owens, Brian Cook, Andy Mac, Mike Pelton, & Ted Roof are making very strong impressions on kids. We have had zero coaching staff turnover which is key for GT. We are a top APR program, and kids continue to represent GT extremely well.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...we are coming off an 11-3 season, a UGA win, and an Orange Bowl Championship.

I don't really care where Johnson compares with history and all that, or think the guy walks on water or whatever. But I do think he's a pretty good coach who has worked his tail off to build a GT program that is winning and is known for integrity on the recruiting trail, in the classroom, and off the field. Add it all up and I'm pretty psyched!