The Georgia Tech fan in me was a little saddened that Paul Johnson decided to retire Wednesday. I really wanted to see what he could do with real facility improvements and support from an AD like Todd Stansbury. Johnson for years struggled to get the financial backing he wanted. He won and made Georgia Tech relevant despite that.
My personal feelings on Johnson were that he wasn’t a great recruiter, and certainly the athletic department didn’t help. I liked him though, and I liked option football. I thought he was a good personality fit for Georgia Tech. He’s going to be missed. Here are my favorite memories from Paul Johnson’s tenure at Georgia Tech in no particular order.
1) November 29, 2008 – Georgia Tech 45 Georgia 42
When Paul Johnson was hired at Georgia Tech, the program had become stale. There were 7 straight losses to Georgia, and that was eating away at every Georgia Tech fan. Johnson came in, and year one immediately endeared himself to Georgia Tech by defeating Georgia. Every win over Georgia is significant for Georgia Tech, but the first one was truly special. Johnson went 3-3 in Athens which is nothing short of remarkable.
2) Part of the ACC football revival
During the BCS era, ACC football was ridiculed as a second rate conference. Dabo Swinney and Jimbo Fisher deserve and get credit for leading the ACC back by making Clemson and FSU elite programs. Back in 2012 though, prior in the day to Clemson beating a top 10 LSU team, Georgia Tech beat a USC team that had been pre-season ranked #1 in the Sun Bowl. The Jackets were double-digit underdogs and won 21-7. The ACC went 4-2 in bowls that year. In the next few years, he beat top 10 Georgia and Mississippi State teams. His snarky comments about SEC football were quote machines.
3) 2014 Top 10 Orange Bowl Team
Name the best non Clemson / FSU ACC team of the decade? It was the 2014 11-3 Georgia Tech team, that had the previously mentioned wins over top 10 Georgia and Mississippi State teams. That Mississippi State spent a large portion of the season at #1 and featured QB Dak Prescott. It was Paul Johnson’s best team, and silenced option critics across the country. His option offense had his Orange Bowl opponent Mississippi State looking helpless. The offense was statistically the most efficient in college football, the team finished the year in the top 10. I watched the replay of the Orange Bowl over and over.
4) October 5, 2018 – Georgia Tech 66 Louisville 31
There were several games Georgia Tech’s option offense ran wild, but this particular game had a little extra meaning for me. The Jackets hadn’t won an ACC road game in a year and a half, and the heat was building on Paul Johnson. I was at casino having dinner in North Carolina that Friday night, and I’m watching Georgia Tech on my phone. The waiter asked me if I was a Yellow Jacket fan. He then told me about waiting on Johnson in the summer, and what a friendly guy Johnson was. He said several nice things about Paul Johnson. I’m thinking kool story! Then the Jackets scored and kept scoring as I’m gambling and watching the game – That was a fun night!
5) What he meant to his players and colleagues.
From the AJC – If you wanted to know how well liked Johnson was by his players and other coaches here it is. Reading the way his players held him in such high regard made me know even more what a high character guy Georgia Tech had leading their program the last 11 years.
#ThanksPaul
Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page
Leave a Reply