Paul Johnson

Boomergump

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I swore I was going to give this some serious thought at the end of the year and, lo and behold, this thread has caught me before I was ready. The day after a devastating loss to our rival, who has had their way with us for the last decade or more, is not the best time. However, I'll give it a go.

My feelings at the moment are that CPJ should stay, but his contract should not be extended, and if it is, a pay raise would not be in order. After our third loss in a row in game 6 of the season, I was leaning towards letting him go, primarily because it was looking like a clown show (with all of the mistakes) where the kids had actually quit on him. Once you lose the kids, it is over. Something has to change under those circumstances, either you go, or many of the kids do. However, since that time, I think the kids have played very hard and seem bought in. I have been a huge fan of the offensive scheme and have also gained confidence in Roof to lead the defense, but I needed to be sure the kids were too.

I don't think there is a single team in the land that would look forward to a match up with GT. We are a very tough opponent, even when the roster isn't where we would all like it to be. In a purely schematic sense, if you take the recruiting effects and so forth out of the equation, I believe this is the best offense currently in CFB, bar none. If you move the pieces on the chess board around, there is simply no way to account for the manpower shortage created by good timely reads in the option game. When you combine that with 4 receivers on every play, it is nuclear. However, you can't just look at the offense in a vacuum like that, because the negative effects
on recruiting have yet to be proven as folly. Until they are, there will always be that argument. Some are already convinced that recruiting will never be good as long as we run this system. I am not in that camp, but I also recognize that we really haven't put the myth to bed yet either. Personally, I think class rankings are a joke, so I don't use them to determine whether or not we are recruiting well. I believe you need 3 years to know for each class. I will say this: there have been too many swings and misses in CPJ's first 3 classes. On the surface it looks like things are much better in the last couple, but we really don't know yet. Guys like Devine and Custis waiting in the wings give me hope.

CPJ is leading the best academic era of GT football IMHO and that carries a lot of weight with me. I am a product of the GT total person concept (Homer Rice) and I buy into that thought process lock, stock, and barrel. We are doing it the right way and I can't tell you much I support it. We need to win more, but we are close.

At present, I am of the opinion that Vad has turned a corner. I thought it might have been so after the Clemson game, but with the thing out of reach so early it was hard to make any sweeping judgments. He played in the UGAg game the way I had hoped he would a little earlier in the season. JT is coming on as well. Good QB play that is designed for this offense will be an elixir. Right about this time in Lil' Joe's career the light was starting to come on. He lit it up in the bowl game. I expect VAd to do the same.
 

Longestday

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Do you want a team that looks and acts like Georgia or Miami? Do we win at any cost? Do we want a new coach every 2 years? Does going through 2 and 10 seasons sound fun?

Can CPJ win more than 6 to 8 games a season again? Can CPJ ever beat UGA again? Will the next coach take our talent and the talent that TECH can get and turn us into a national power house?

I want to win, but not at any cost. I want a team that acts like ours and not the thugs we see on other teams. I don't want a new coach every 2 years. I want to have season swings up to 10-12 wins a year. I don't want to drop Georgia and play 4 cupcakes like Duke for a 10 and 2 season.

I think CPJ is making changes. He is not sticking with the status quo. He is adding to the O, firing till he finds the right D coordinator, changing recruiting to get better players.
 

OldJacketFan

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We're starting to see what this offense can be when you have a credible passing game. Like others have pointed out the scheme is designed to create mismatches and having a QB the can full exploit that is what I have been waiting to see. Given's Vad's overall performance last night it seems as if he is starting to get it! A continuation of this play in the bowl game would be a welcomed sight! To me CPJ gets it and his teams show it in how they handle themselves, on and off the field, as well the primary goal of graduating young men. I want to see wins as much as any fan but I want to see it done the right way. To me winning the right way is so much sweeter than short cutting it, that demonstrates the true concept of a student athlete!
 

gtg936g

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I think we need to see what CPJ/CTR can do together. In my mind things seem to be coming together. Vad seems to be absorbing the offense. Our WR are starting to make key plays. Days is blocking well. Hill and Andrews are stepping up too. The guys just played their hearts out in a tough gut wrenching loss. As fans I do not think we can ask more from our players.

As far as recruiting goes, it seems that CPJ is moving in the right direction on two fronts. The Hill has to love the graduation rates, which gives CPJ more credibility to ask for exemptions. CPJ is also using more guys to find good quality recruits.

I think we wait and see. If things continue to improve there is no need for a change in my mind.
 

BainbridgeJacket

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I think we got spoiled early. Given time, CPJ will build this program ti where it needs to be. So long as recruiting is improving we have all the pieces in place. Our assistant attrition has been terrible, but we have mostly competent guys that just need more experience. If we can keep this staff in place and build momentum, we will have success.
 

Eric

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I think next year is a huge year for CPJ and Tech. I am pulling for him to get things going back to the 08 and 09 years.
 

ATL1

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Just heard on the radio (who told them there was a school in midtown) CPJ is 1-15 against the Big 4 since 2010? That is Hot Seat placement for sure right there.
 

dressedcheeseside

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Just heard on the radio (who told them there was a school in midtown) CPJ is 1-15 against the Big 4 since 2010? That is Hot Seat placement for sure right there.
I don't think his seat is hot one bit with the hill and that's who matters. He has one of the highest APR's in the league and at one of the hardest schools in the league. That goes a looooooooooooooong way with the hill. That and nobody gets in trouble off the field, another huge plus as far as the hill is concerned. Football results are a distant 3rd and honestly, we beat who we're supposed to and lose to who we're supposed to so what do they care about that?
 

jason

Georgia Tech Fan
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I like coach Johnson don't always agree with every call but I still like him. I couldn't stand rooting for some of the players Georgia and some of the other big schools have just look at Auburn they made a hero of Cam he got kicked off of Florida for stealing now their QB got kicked off of Georgia for the same thing and its almost impossible to get let go from them. I'll take 7 to 9 win season from good kids. I like the fact that we don't take just anybody.
 

chrsw003

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Passing more will open up everything for the offense. Liked what I saw against uga, I think Paul has wanted to pass more but honestly the pass protection has givin us no chance to pass. Think next year we will start to see more and improved passing.
 

ATL1

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I don't think the new AD is here just to babysit.
The football coach and especially the basketball coach need to be concerned.
 

dressedcheeseside

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I don't think the new AD is here just to babysit.
The football coach and especially the basketball coach need to be concerned.
I agree with your first statement, but all things are relative. GT ain't like other places. There's a different set of priorities with our Admin than say a Florida State. Wouldn't you agree?
 

GTrob21

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Coach Johnson is going to stay atleast one more year. Another year, another loss to UGA, another 7-5 season and you will see the majority of Tech fans jump off ship. The fanbase is already starting to split. I also like our new AD and think he is very competent, atleast in Bball hires.

So everybody just needs to simmer down, and enjoy the ride for another year. I think we will be having these discussions again around the same time next year.
 

dressedcheeseside

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Coach Johnson is going to stay atleast one more year. Another year, another loss to UGA, another 7-5 season and you will see the majority of Tech fans jump off ship. The fanbase is already starting to split. I also like our new AD and think he is very competent, atleast in Bball hires.

So everybody just needs to simmer down, and enjoy the ride for another year. I think we will be having these discussions again around the same time next year.
Nobody has a crystal ball, as far as I know, so to say history will repeat itself is just speculation. One thing that cannot be refuted is that CPJ has made several moves to try and improve things. He doesn't continue to do the same things with the same staff and hope things get better. Time will tell if any of the many changes he's made pay off.
 

ATL1

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I agree somewhat, but CPJ doesn't have a free ride either. Apathy has already set in and Bob seems to have an understanding of how to run a program. CPJ has next year to show and prove but I'm pretty sure if it's not a 8-9 win season he's gone, and honestly he should be.
 

daBuzz

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I don't think his seat is hot one bit with the hill and that's who matters. He has one of the highest APR's in the league and at one of the hardest schools in the league. That goes a looooooooooooooong way with the hill. That and nobody gets in trouble off the field, another huge plus as far as the hill is concerned. Football results are a distant 3rd and honestly, we beat who we're supposed to and lose to who we're supposed to so what do they care about that?

Oh my good Lord. If our academic side of the house is determining who is coaching our football team, then we are well & truly screwed. Half of them don't even like sports and hate football.
 

cyptomcat

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Oh my good Lord. If our academic side of the house is determining who is coaching our football team, then we are well & truly screwed. Half of them don't even like sports and hate football.
Partially, fan attendance and interest still matter a lot. We had decent attendance this year. The moment fans stop showing up, or it looks like they will (boo the coach etc.), a coaching change will soon follow.

We will see what the future brings.
 

gtdrew

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I agree somewhat, but CPJ doesn't have a free ride either. Apathy has already set in and Bob seems to have an understanding of how to run a program. CPJ has next year to show and prove but I'm pretty sure if it's not a 8-9 win season he's gone, and honestly he should be.
Who has apathy set in with? You? I'd say the opposite is true.
 
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