Johnson The New Man at Tech
Paul Johnson, after spending six very successful years at the Naval Academy, had been signed as the new head coach at Georgia Tech, for a deal worth 11 million over the next seven years.
At Navy, Johnson lead the Midshipmen to a 6-0 record versus Army, the longest streak by either side since the rivalry began, broke the longest losing streak to one school in the country by beating Notre Dame (who just had a big commit) this season, and is taking Navy to their 5th straight bowl game after only reaching one in the previous 20 seasons.
At the same time, the Georgia Tech program has struggled, most notably in the Georgia rivalry, where it has dropped 7 straight.
“That [Georgia game] is a game Georgia Tech needs to win,” Johnson said. “I embrace that.”
If not for Calvin Johnson, likely the greatest athlete to ever grace the Tech campus, they would’ve been hard pressed to find winning seasons in the previous few years. This season, they muddled to a 7-5 finish in a weak ACC, the 3rd such season under Chan Gailey. He also posted two 7-6 marks. The one unusual year was Johnson’s senior season, where they were invited to the Gator Bowl with a 10-2 record, falling to WVU.
After fans weren’t even thinking Johnson as a possible hire, he sprung out and is apparently a very good choice. They seem to think he can break the scary trend against Georgia and even Clemson.
Johnson was previously the head coach of Georgia Southern, where he won two Division I-AA national championships and a record five consecutive Southern Conference titles.
Johnson has said he won’t coach either team in their respective bowl games. Instead, he plans to begin his new job and might even start recruiting as early as Monday. He also plans to get his assistant coaches together soon also.
“I hope this is my last job. The hardest thing you have to do in coaching is that meeting with your team when you tell them you’re leaving. I’ve had to do that twice as a head coach, and I hope I don’t ever have to do that again.â€?
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