Paul Johnson to retire

[COJacket]

I can't 'like' these enough. I know he didn't win a title here or anything, but he's an all-timer at GT as far as I'm concerned for all the reasons y'all mentioned.

This is a bittersweet day because I do feel it was just time. But I will miss the dude.

Have to agree in spades again kg01!!!

 

[COJacket]

O

Josh Heupel please and thank you.

Thanks CPJ for all of your hard work over the last 11 years. Thank you for the ACC CG appearances - I had a great time at each one. Thanks for graduating your players. Thanks for bringing a tough, physical “punch them in the mouth” mentality to GT football. Thanks for succeeding despite the inherent institutional limitations. And most of all - thanks for beating UGA.

Can’t agree enough buzz!!!

 

[lauraee]

How does it not correlate? Clemson OC's look good because they have awesome talent via Dabo.

Can Elliot bring Dabo with him?

And Venables & all their 5* players, including Trevor Lawrence? Natty here we come.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Has this site started sliding into "stingtalk" areas? I used to only see respect and politeness on this board when I first came here, and I hope it can be that way again. Again, we can disagree and be respectful. Opinions are just that, opinions. They come from different life experiences. Someone who started liking GT because of the 1990 success with no other association with the school is a great fan to have, but he/she will not have the same perspective of someone who attended the Institute. I think most of you who did attend/graduate know it changed you somewhat. I know it did me - I had to grow up very fast, or I would have been out very quickly - it wasn't always fair, in fact, at times it was inherently unfair, but that is what made it special once you received the degree. I have worked some fairly high pressure jobs in my life, but nothing compared to what I had to endure at GT. Did the athletes have it easier than standard students? Yes, especially those of the men's BB and FB teams. But, compared to what other schools had for these same athletes, GT was harder and did require more effort academically.

On the other hand, the perspective of someone who just chose to make GT their team can never be duplicated by someone who became a fan because they went to school there. So, that perspective is just as unique as the other. Neither is better, but they are different. If a fan that was not associated with the GT academics believes GT can be like all other football recruiting colleges, I believe they don't fully understand the uniqueness of the Institute, but with that said, they are fully welcome to believe that if they like. I would hope having some of us middle-aged and older alums try to explain some things from our perspective would not make them upset, as they can still believe what they like.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Prior to today, I had exactly 2 people on "ignore" and that was because of comments in the politics section, not the sports section. I'm absolutely disgusted by some of the comments in this thread, and over half a dozen addition "ignores" have been added. ANYONE who is willing to gloat about CPJ retiring, has no couth and does not deserve to be recognized by the general membership of this board. I have no problem with people who disagree with his philosophy or think we needed a change, but for people to make disparaging comments after his announced retirement is someone I have no interest in reading.

 

[Techster]

Pretty interesting posts by Schultz on his twitter regarding CPJ stepping down:

https://twitter.com/JeffSchultzATL

Apparently, and if you watched the TV telecast of the UGA game, the possibility of CPJ retiring was a strong rumor circulating among media members and people around CPJ for a while now. When the announcers during the game made mention that there was question of CPJ coming back, they were just repeating what many already knew: the possibility of 2018 being CPJ's last season was strong.

So here we are.

 

[B Lifsey]

Still can't believe some of you think CPJ was "secretly fired". If that was the case, he wouldn't be coaching the bowl game. You've spent 11 years with this man. You really think Paul Chip On My Shoulder I'm Smarter Than All Of You Bastards Johnson would coach one game for someone who FIRED him? He went on his own terms. Good for him.

And leave his buyout on the table.

 

[FrostedOrange]

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

CLASS - left us with zero liability from a $$ standpoint. "will always be a Tech fan"

 

[g0lftime]

PJ was a straight shooter and surely was disappointed he wasn't able to have more wins. He could have continued and forced a buyout but he is not that kind of guy. He will always be welcomed back and hope we can make him an honorary graduate. He deserves recognition by the institute for his dedication. He finally "got out" after 11 years.

 

[jgtengineer]

PJ was a straight shooter and surely was disappointed he wasn't able to have more wins. He could have continued and forced a buyout but he is not that kind of guy. He will always be welcomed back and hope we can make him an honorary graduate. He deserves recognition by the institute for his dedication. He finally "got out" after 11 years.

He could also have pulled a spurrier and retired after clemson this year, which shows how much a fighter he really is.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

Wow.

Earlier in the season, I was honest on this board and shared my feelings that it was time for a change. I made it clear that my desire for change had nothing to do with offense or recruiting. It simply felt to me that CPJ was losing his edge.

After our mid-season turnaround, I believed he had caught a second wind on the 2018 season and 2019 would be another potentially great season (the UGAg score did not and still does not affect my opinions on CPJ in any way, as they and CLEM have made the $$$ commitment to be at the CFP tier, and no other team in the ACC is in the position to go all in that way right now).

I was surprised yesterday. It does appear to me that CPJ did this on his own terms, and despite the way his football program was perpetually handcuffed from an academic and financial standpoint, he is handling it so far with class and dignity. He's also doing the next HC a big favor by announcing early.

I know I shouldn't be, but I am continually surprised by some of the takes on this board re: CPJ. He is certainly a polarizing coach, even on the national stage, but I encourage you to do some digging into former and current player tweets, comments from his coaching peers, and even comments from NFL coaches who have utilized his knowledge to improve their own systems. Paul Johnson is one of the greatest football coaches of the last 50 years. We were lucky to have hired him in 2008. He kept us competitive on the national stage while college football went berserk with $$$ and extravaga11ce in a way that a school like GT could not take part in. I'll forever be grateful for:

11 wins
11 wins
9 wins
9 wins
Multiple wins over VT/UM/FSU
1 ACC title
3 ACC title appearances
3 wins over UGAg
2 Orange Bowls
1 Orange Bowl win/Top 10 finish
3 ACC COTY awards
1 national COTY award
85% graduation rate (from ~50%)
The way he coached and mentored two former athletes of mine

I hope GT can hire a HC who is close to the all-time greatness of Paul Johnson, but it won't be easy.

 

[Old South Stands]

I didn't know much about CPJ when he was first mentioned as a possible HC hire. I didn't follow Div 2 sports, so wasn't familiar with his successes at Southern. But I knew he'd turned Navy around from a doormat type of team to being pretty competitive... I don't know what it was, it was a gut feeling I had, but I immediately felt that he was a good hire. Not a fist-pumping good feeling, but a generally positive feeling I didn't have when Coach Gailey was introduced as the new HC. Looking back over the years, I've had more fun watching/experiencing Tech football under Coach CPJ than I've had since perhaps my grammar school days in the '70s, when I first started paying attention to football and it was all still new. There were a couple exciting seasons under Curry, the three wins in a row over UGA with COL, the latter half of '89 and the championship season of 1990. All these were high points, but I haven't enjoyed an entire coaching tenure at Tech the same way I've enjoyed it under coach Johnson. He had the integrity of Coach Ross, the grittiness of Coach O'Leary, and the humor of Coach Rodgers all rolled up in one. It was a wild, exciting ride with all the highs and lows, and I thoroughly enjoyed having him at the helm at Grant Field. He will sorely be missed. I hope he coaches the bowl game!

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Wow.

Earlier in the season, I was honest on this board and shared my feelings that it was time for a change. I made it clear that my desire for change had nothing to do with offense or recruiting. It simply felt to me that CPJ was losing his edge.

After our mid-season turnaround, I believed he had caught a second wind on the 2018 season and 2019 would be another potentially great season (the UGAg score did not and still does not affect my opinions on CPJ in any way, as they and CLEM have made the $$$ commitment to be at the CFP tier, and no other team in the ACC is in the position to go all in that way right now).

I was surprised yesterday. It does appear to me that CPJ did this on his own terms, and despite the way his football program was perpetually handcuffed from an academic and financial standpoint, he is handling it so far with class and dignity. He's also doing the next HC a big favor by announcing early.

I know I shouldn't be, but I am continually surprised by some of the takes on this board re: CPJ. He is certainly a polarizing coach, even on the national stage, but I encourage you to do some digging into former and current player tweets, comments from his coaching peers, and even comments from NFL coaches who have utilized his knowledge to improve their own systems. Paul Johnson is one of the greatest football coaches of the last 50 years. We were lucky to have hired him in 2008. He kept us competitive on the national stage while college football went berserk with $$$ and extravaga11ce in a way that a school like GT could not take part in. I'll forever be grateful for:

11 wins
11 wins
9 wins
9 wins
Multiple wins over VT/UM/FSU
1 ACC title
3 ACC title appearances
3 wins over UGAg
2 Orange Bowls
1 Orange Bowl win/Top 10 finish
3 ACC COTY awards
1 national COTY award
85% graduation rate (from ~50%)
The way he coached and mentored two former athletes of mine

I hope GT can hire a HC who is close to the all-time greatness of Paul Johnson, but it won't be easy.

Well said, Sidewalk. Very well said.

 

[Animal02]

I didn't know much about CPJ when he was first mentioned as a possible HC hire. I didn't follow Div 2 sports, so wasn't familiar with his successes at Southern. But I knew he'd turned Navy around from a doormat type of team to being pretty competitive... I don't know what it was, it was a gut feeling I had, but I immediately felt that he was a good hire. Not a fist-pumping good feeling, but a generally positive feeling I didn't have when Coach Gailey was introduced as the new HC. Looking back over the years, I've had more fun watching/experiencing Tech football under Coach CPJ than I've had since perhaps my grammar school days in the '70s, when I first started paying attention to football and it was all still new. There were a couple exciting seasons under Curry, the three wins in a row over UGA with COL, the latter half of '89 and the championship season of 1990. All these were high points, but I haven't enjoyed an entire coaching tenure at Tech the same way I've enjoyed it under coach Johnson. He had the integrity of Coach Ross, the grittiness of Coach O'Leary, and the humor of Coach Rodgers all rolled up in one. It was a wild, exciting ride with all the highs and lows, and I thoroughly enjoyed having him at the helm at Grant Field. He will sorely be missed. I hope he coaches the bowl game!

I also liked and respected his no nonsense approach regarding discipline and a academics. Letting players out of practice early for class ..no exception to team rules for star players etc.

 

[Old South Stands]

Did anyone notice, CPJ was the first coach at Tech to retire since the Dodd era. I was in the womb the last time this happened...

Coach Dodd - retired
Coach Foster - fired/left?
Coach Fulcher - left
Coach Rodgers - fired
Coach Curry - left
Coach Ross - left
Coach Lewis - fired
Coach O'Leary - left
Coach Gailey - fired
Coach Johnson - retired

 

[CuseJacket]

Sugiura: Wes Durham on Paul Johnson’s career, Georgia Tech’s decision

“He’s a hall-of-fame coach,” Durham said. “It’ll be a slam dunk in that light and he did a great job. He came to Georgia Tech at a time where, I guess, in many respects – 18 years after a national championship and 10 years after the last double-figure win season – they really had to kind of find somebody that would give them an identity. He certainly gave them an identity.”

“You’re not going to pay lip service to the mission statement at Georgia Tech,” he said. “When they tell you there’s an academic side to the deal, there is really an academic piece to this that’s not just something they say. You’ve got to understand that it is a unique situation.”

 

[Boomergump]

I have taken some time to write, just so I could digest this thing. I am happy for Paul Johnson and his family, but I am sad for myself and I am sad for his players. 11 Years ago, I was not in favor of Gailey getting fired. I had felt for several seasons he was a QB away from having great great success. However when DRad selected CPJ, I was ecstatic because he picked my very first choice for the gig. I wanted CPJ because if he could take NAVY, who was a mess at the time, and turn them around, then he could help us. NAVY, who also happens to have many future Marines on the field, is not an easy place to coach. Neither is GT. It wasn't about scheme for me (at the time), but rather about character and leadership. At this point, I can honestly say, Paul Johnson has fulfilled all of my expectations in those areas, and then some. Having been a TECH student athlete, in that order, I greatly appreciate the Homer Rice model. CPJ forces kids to do the right thing and buy into the GT system. Don't think for a minute that our grad rates would be where they are without his influence on, and support of, our kids.

In a selfish way, I am really going to miss this spread option stuff from under center. I became way more interested in the XX and OO of CFB after CPJ came here. I don't know why, but that scheme, combined with his brilliant play calls and adjustments during the flow of a game really drew me in. I began watching hours and hours of replays analyzing the responsibilities of every player. I learned more and understood more about the game, mostly because of that darned scheme that many of us seem sooo anxious to get rid of. I guess I am the polar opposite of those of you who feel that way.

As much of a fan as I am of Paul Johnson, I am even more a fan of my Alma Mater. I will be firmly behind the next coach, but I am not sure I will ever have the same depth of interest. Most likely, I will just simply return to watching and cheering while following the football. It won't be the end of the world for me, but it will certainly be the end of a special era.

GOOD LUCK COACH! I feel pretty sure you will return to coaching some day before too long. When you do, your team will be my third most favorite, behind TECH and whoever plays U(sic)GA that week.

 

[GT_05]

I have taken some time to write, just so I could digest this thing. I am happy for Paul Johnson and his family, but I am sad for myself and I am sad for his players. 11 Years ago, I was not in favor of Gailey getting fired. I had felt for several seasons he was a QB away from having great great success. However when DRad selected CPJ, I was ecstatic because he picked my very first choice for the gig. I wanted CPJ because if he could take NAVY, who was a mess at the time, and turn them around, then he could help us. NAVY, who also happens to have many future Marines on the field, is not an easy place to coach. Neither is GT. It wasn't about scheme for me (at the time), but rather about character and leadership. At this point, I can honestly say, Paul Johnson has fulfilled all of my expectations in those areas, and then some. Having been a TECH student athlete, in that order, I greatly appreciate the Homer Rice model. CPJ forces kids to do the right thing and buy into the GT system. Don't think for a minute that our grad rates would be where they are without his influence on, and support of, our kids.

In a selfish way, I am really going to miss this spread option stuff from under center. I became way more interested in the XX and OO of CFB after CPJ came here. I don't know why, but that scheme, combined with his brilliant play calls and adjustments during the flow of a game really drew me in. I began watching hours and hours of replays analyzing the responsibilities of every player. I learned more and understood more about the game, mostly because of that darned scheme that many of us seem sooo anxious to get rid of. I guess I am the polar opposite of those of you who feel that way.

As much of a fan as I am of Paul Johnson, I am even more a fan of my Alma Mater. I will be firmly behind the next coach, but I am not sure I will ever have the same depth of interest. Most likely, I will just simply return to watching and cheering while following the football. It won't be the end of the world for me, but it will certainly be the end of a special era.

GOOD LUCK COACH! I feel pretty sure you will return to coaching some day before too long. When you do, your team will be my third most favorite, behind TECH and whoever plays U(sic)GA that week.

Very nice post.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ibeattetris]

In a selfish way, I am really going to miss this spread option stuff from under center. I became way more interested in the XX and OO of CFB after CPJ came here. I don't know why, but that scheme, combined with his brilliant play calls and adjustments during the flow of a game really drew me in. I began watching hours and hours of replays analyzing the responsibilities of every player. I learned more and understood more about the game, mostly because of that darned scheme that many of us seem sooo anxious to get rid of. I guess I am the polar opposite of those of you who feel that way.

As much of a fan as I am of Paul Johnson, I am even more a fan of my Alma Mater. I will be firmly behind the next coach, but I am not sure I will ever have the same depth of interest. Most likely, I will just simply return to watching and cheering while following the football. It won't be the end of the world for me, but it will certainly be the end of a special era.

Perfect way to put it.

I just watched the ball and cheered for scores or stops. CPJ instilled in me a desire to understand what was going on and why. To understand that total points doesn't matter when each game has different number of drives (he was the first person I heard mention points per drive).

CPJ has brought me more enjoyment than any other coach, but my passion for GT football doesn't stop with him. When our next coach inevitably has bad game, and the whiney posters are saying to pass/run more, I will bring out the stats and support our coach and our team as I do now.

Edit: Unless the stats show we suck but then I will at least back up my thoughts with numbers