Paul Johnson

[Prominentwon]

I've had an off an on discussion about Paul Johnson on another board and I've talked highly of him because I know what he did and what kind of dominant teams he put on the field at Georgia Southern.

What do you guys that have been watching him more closely than I have and have watched his teams throughout his career think he's going to do at GT? How high can he lift that program? They guy is 4-1 in a adjustment year and there are teams having problems stopping him already with a majority of Fr and Soph running his offense.

Personally, I really think once these kids are older and he has more kids that he recruited to run the 3Option, I really think that GT could be as dominant in conference as GS was at one time.

I'd like to get you guys' opinions.


I understand GT is a I-A school, but I posted this here because there are more people here that are familiar with Johnson right now.

[GATA]

I think he's going to win at least 8 games this year and the team is only going to get more dominant each and every year like you predicted.

Sometimes I watch them and you can tell that they aren't comfortable enough to run the offense at a really high level yet, but they're good enough to score some points and get wins. When they really start to get it going and get athletes hand picked by PJ they'll be averaging 40+ a game and you'll really start to see something special!

While I was watching their game last week I realized that they hardly ran any triple option. I'm pretty sure I watched a quarter where I didn't see one actual triple option play. Sure...they had plays designed to look like a triple option, but they were just predetermined dives or keeps. The QB wasn't reading anybody and making decisions.

Because I was such a big fan of the flexbone at GSU I try to make it a point to watch the offensive line play and when the team is running a true triple option play they are leaving lineman unblocked for the QB to read. I didn't see many people being left unblocked last saturday. This is probably Johnson's way of getting the team comfortable with the offense.

[introvertedGSUfan]

I think he's going to win at least 8 games this year and the team is only going to get more dominant each and every year like you predicted.

Sometimes I watch them and you can tell that they aren't comfortable enough to run the offense at a really high level yet, but they're good enough to score some points and get wins. When they really start to get it going and get athletes hand picked by PJ they'll be averaging 40+ a game and you'll really start to see something special!

While I was watching their game last week I realized that they hardly ran any triple option. I'm pretty sure I watched a quarter where I didn't see one actual triple option play. Sure...they had plays designed to look like a triple option, but they were just predetermined dives or keeps. The QB wasn't reading anybody and making decisions.

Because I was such a big fan of the flexbone at GSU I try to make it a point to watch the offensive line play and when the team is running a true triple option play they are leaving lineman unblocked for the QB to read. I didn't see many people being left unblocked last saturday. This is probably Johnson's way of getting the team comfortable with the offense.

Yes, and he may have also toned it down against Duke (which has already improved a great deal this year under David Cutcliffe) and possibly against Gardner Webb for various reasons. The Triple Option style is a great offense that can really rack up points, but there is definitely a higher rate of turnover which Johnson may have wanted to lower by playing a more traditional style last weekend.

[Franks Tanks]

Yes, and he may have also toned it down against Duke (which has already improved a great deal this year under David Cutcliffe) and possibly against Gardner Webb for various reasons. The Triple Option style is a great offense that can really rack up points, but there is definitely a higher rate of turnover which Johnson may have wanted to lower by playing a more traditional style last weekend.

Good points. What any offense (the Triple option, Spread, the Ancient Wing-T etc.) is in essense designed to do is create match-up problems for the Defense and cause them to make a choice. Do I double team the reciever or use tha Safety for run support etc. So even though Johnson isnt expressly using perhaps the system he is best known for he is still adept at creating match-up problems and causing the defense to make choices and be out of position. He is just a darn good footbal coach.

[eaglewithabus]

I think that given a year or two PJ and gatech will absolutely dominate the acc and possibly the country in due time. PJ has never had a bad team and he is just the kind of coach that gatech needs because of their recruiting difficulties due to academic requirements. You wont see gatech recruiting classes ever being ranked in the top five because pj will go after a different type of player than most of the fbs schools are after. Although, I could definately see some stud running backs opting to attend gt. The only drawback about the triple option is that it is not the best offense when coming from behind because it eats a lot of the clock; however, with that said, PJ has his best chance ever at gt to get players in that are not just one dimensional, i.e. a qb that can run the ball and has a cannon. The hardest players for PJ to get will be high quality wide receivers because recievers know they will not get much thrown their way in that offense. GT should be fun to watch over the next few years, PJ is one of a kind and he will not settle for anything less than winning championships.

[Cobblestone]

I'm not big fan of the triple option (Tim Stowers?) but I saw Ga Tech play Boston College early this season and I will say that Johnson's teams run this type of offense with the precision that it is supposed to be executed with. Johnson is a proven winner and his Georgia Tech team could very well win the ACC.

[LacesOut]

Haven't see GT play yet this year. But I am looking forward to seeing how that offense does in I-A 'ball, where it appears as most teams run the spread or a NFL style offense.

[Lulu]

I do want him to do well at GT because of all the crap the commentators dished out against him early in the season.

I'm just hoping that Army might have a chance to beat Navy now that PJ has gone south. :p xeekx

[appfan2008]

great coach and he could have them as an acc title contender maybe this year but mos def next year... and who knows after that... national title contender? that may be a bit much

[PaladinFan]

He picked a good year to install it. The ACC is nothing special this year. I'm interested to see how the offense does against Georgia.

Both former SoCon coaches named Johnson are doing remarkably well. Furman's old head coach Bobby J. is now leading a top 15 Vanderbilt squad.

[dungeonjoe]

I think that given a year or two PJ and gatech will absolutely dominate the acc and possibly the country in due time. PJ has never had a bad team and he is just the kind of coach that gatech needs because of their recruiting difficulties due to academic requirements. You wont see gatech recruiting classes ever being ranked in the top five because pj will go after a different type of player than most of the fbs schools are after. Although, I could definately see some stud running backs opting to attend gt. The only drawback about the triple option is that it is not the best offense when coming from behind because it eats a lot of the clock; however, with that said, PJ has his best chance ever at gt to get players in that are not just one dimensional, i.e. a qb that can run the ball and has a cannon. The hardest players for PJ to get will be high quality wide receivers because recievers know they will not get much thrown their way in that offense. GT should be fun to watch over the next few years, PJ is one of a kind and he will not settle for anything less than winning championships.

I think Johnson will be competing with Ayers at Wofford for top-notch specialized players. The fact that the academics at Tech are impressive is also reason for the terriers to be concerned.

[eaglewithabus]

I think Johnson will be competing with Ayers at Wofford for top-notch specialized players. The fact that the academics at Tech are impressive is also reason for the terriers to be concerned.


Not trying to bash Wofford at all, but Ive got to say that I think most recruits given the choice between Gatech and Wofford, will pick GaTech, just because of the ACC & fbs factor. PJ is a pretty good recruiting coach also, and he has some other good recruiters on his staff.

[PaladinFan]

Not trying to bash Wofford at all, but Ive got to say that I think most recruits given the choice between Gatech and Wofford, will pick GaTech, just because of the ACC & fbs factor. PJ is a pretty good recruiting coach also, and he has some other good recruiters on his staff.

Well, the one thing Johnson has to do is keep recruiting defensive players. He won't win consistently without a good defense.

I suppose it kind of depends. If I'm a high school kid who wants to play football at a good academic school, and I don't feel like sitting three years, then Wofford might be the place for me. Actually, the guy who has been getting a lot of PT with tech is a Furman recruit that many say we were very close to landing, Jaybo Shaw. So, I guess there is some validity to the argument.

[eaglewithabus]

Well, the one thing Johnson has to do is keep recruiting defensive players. He won't win consistently without a good defense.

I suppose it kind of depends. If I'm a high school kid who wants to play football at a good academic school, and I don't feel like sitting three years, then Wofford might be the place for me. Actually, the guy who has been getting a lot of PT with tech is a Furman recruit that many say we were very close to landing, Jaybo Shaw. So, I guess there is some validity to the argument.


signing the shaw kid was the first thing PJ did when he got to tech. Shaw's dad was his high school football coach who runs PJ's offense, so Jaybo Shaw had been running Pj's TO offense for years.

[Seven Would Be Nice]

Tech is a few plays away from 5-0. If they were 5-0 right now you would hear a LOT more about them. You don't hear a lot about them on ESPN though. I think they are afraid to interview PJ or talk about the option offense. They tend to know little about it and PJ makes fools of those types of people in interviews.

[gt_bison]

Well, let's see what I can say about this. Feelings are higher among the GT fanbase than they've been for years. Paul Johnson, as has been said here before, is just a great football coach. He's instilled a great deal of discipline with the team and has them playing as one team, not an offense and a defense like they were last year. He hates to lose, and as I'm sure the Georgia Southern fans know, he will walk off the field after decimating an opponent (MS State 38-7, Duke 27-0) and find things to complain about that the team didn't do up to his standards. He knows all about setting the standards high and keeping his players working hard. The best part is that he's gotten the student-athletes to buy into what he's trying to do, which helps with such a young squad.

How will the TO work in the ACC? Well, it's working pretty well so far (two stupid penalties at VT away from a 5-0 start), and I expect it to continue to do so, provided that we can get Navy to change their offense or else schedule fewer ACC teams ;) A comment was made about very few TO plays against Duke last week. That's mainly due to the fact that their defense was more prepared from having played Navy and we had a true freshman QB on the field making his first start. He was really nervous and didn't play as well as in the MS State game where he came in on the 8th or 9th play (due to injury) and was in for the rest of the non-garbage time. The offense sputtered in the first half, but got things going in the second. The coaches were universally down on the O-Line after the Duke game, as they didn't block as well as they had in earlier games. GW (there, got some FCS in for a second) will be a good tune-up for them before Clemson next week. I'm pretty confident that Paul Johnson will find a way to dominate the ACC once he gets the right guys (particularly the O-Line) recruited, but I do have to say that I don't think just any coach could pick up his offense and install it at a BCS school. You've got to have the intangibles that he does in order to succeed with it.

[elon77]

I think that given a year or two PJ and gatech will absolutely dominate the acc and possibly the country in due time. PJ has never had a bad team and he is just the kind of coach that gatech needs because of their recruiting difficulties due to academic requirements. You wont see gatech recruiting classes ever being ranked in the top five because pj will go after a different type of player than most of the fbs schools are after. Although, I could definately see some stud running backs opting to attend gt. The only drawback about the triple option is that it is not the best offense when coming from behind because it eats a lot of the clock; however, with that said, PJ has his best chance ever at gt to get players in that are not just one dimensional, i.e. a qb that can run the ball and has a cannon. The hardest players for PJ to get will be high quality wide receivers because recievers know they will not get much thrown their way in that offense. GT should be fun to watch over the next few years, PJ is one of a kind and he will not settle for anything less than winning championships.

Dominate the ACC? Come on as long as Va. Tech is in the ACC I don't think anyone will dominate it. Va. Tech held Ga. Tech to 17 points this year and they lost 8 starters off the defense last year. Ga. Tech will likely get better in the years to come, But Va. Tech is reloading this year and they are still at the top of the heap. I'm not in love with Va. Tech, but you have to hand it to Beamer he turns out a pretty good team every year.xnodx

[gt_bison]

signing the shaw kid was the first thing PJ did when he got to tech. Shaw's dad was his high school football coach who runs PJ's offense, so Jaybo Shaw had been running Pj's TO offense for years.

PJ has repeatedly tried to squash this not-quite-true statement. Jaybo's junior and senior seasons, he ran a similar offense but out of the shotgun. According to PJ, things are similar but very much not the same. That being said, Jaybo makes better reads than Nesbitt, he just doesn't have the athleticism (yet) to turn a busted play into a big gain like Nesbitt can.

[introvertedGSUfan]

Dominate the ACC? Come on as long as Va. Tech is in the ACC I don't think anyone will dominate it. Va. Tech held Ga. Tech to 17 points this year and they lost 8 starters off the defense last year. Ga. Tech will likely get better in the years to come, But Va. Tech is reloading this year and they are still at the top of the heap. I'm not in love with Va. Tech, but you have to hand it to Beamer he turns out a pretty good team every year.xnodx

Um, like others have said, Tech would likely be 5-0 right now if it weren't for a few penalties. The fact of the matter is that this is the very first year that this GT team has played under the Flexbone and they have picked it up extremely quick. After watching VT's blunder last year against Kansas, there is no reason to see why GT wouldn't be the next ACC powerhouse. VT isn't all it's cracked up to be anymore.

[dungeonjoe]

Not trying to bash Wofford at all, but Ive got to say that I think most recruits given the choice between Gatech and Wofford, will pick GaTech, just because of the ACC & fbs factor. PJ is a pretty good recruiting coach also, and he has some other good recruiters on his staff.
That was what I was trying to say:)

[elon77]

Um, like others have said, Tech would likely be 5-0 right now if it weren't for a few penalties. The fact of the matter is that this is the very first year that this GT team has played under the Flexbone and they have picked it up extremely quick. After watching VT's blunder last year against Kansas, there is no reason to see why GT wouldn't be the next ACC powerhouse. VT isn't all it's cracked up to be anymore.

Maybe this year, but you wait. They are loaded with young talent. They might play as many freshmen as you do. We all know how many freshmen you play. xreadx

[Seven Would Be Nice]

Maybe this year, but you wait. They are loaded with young talent. They might play as many freshmen as you do. We all know how many freshmen you play. xreadx

Do you know how many NCs we've won? If not we can remind you at any time. xrulesx xrulesx

[elon77]

Do you know how many NCs we've won? If not we can remind you at any time. xrulesx xrulesx

Like Paul Johnson at GSU, it's all in the past. Do you know how many years in a row Elon has beaten you? xoopsx

[GATA]

Like Paul Johnson at GSU, it's all in the past. Do you know how many years in a row Elon has beaten you? xoopsx

2?...Yeah I'm pretty sure it's two. We had our worst season ever in 2006 and still beat Elon. You guys are MUCH improved over what the program used to be...but I wouldn't be too excited over a two game win streak...

Now Notre Dame's streak they used to have over Navy..that was a streak!

Or the streak that Nebraska used to have over Kansas...it was like 40 games!

[Hoyadestroya85]

I have no affiliation with any school that Paul Johnson has been at, but i am a huge fan. I'm convinced that he has the best offensive mind in the country. Not only is this offense working, but he doesn't even have the players for it. I can't wait to see this offense in action once he has a couple of explosive slot backs.
There is no better offense than the flexbone, it must have been such a treat to be a GSU fan back in the day and being able to watch tracy ham and AP, i have to imagine that jayson would be monstrous in the bone, even moreso than he was last year

[DFW HOYA]

Coaching strategy won't get you very far without the players. Kevin Kelly worked under Johnson at Navy and the wins didn't follow from Annapolis.

[blueballs]

Paul is an offensive mastermind, and a tremendous taskmaster as well.

Overlooked in all of this are two former GSU folks who are now at Tech who have put their own stamp on the program:

Mike Sewak (former GSU HC after Paul and OC under Paul) is the OL coach and there isn't a better coach of offensive linemen in an option scheme in college football- bar none.

Giff Smith (former GSU all american DL and asst coach under Paul, also gave the eulogy at Coach Russell's service) is the recruiting coordinator and he is a dynamic recruiter. In fact I supported hiring him as HC at GSU in both instances after the firing of Mike Sewak and when Brian Van Gonad quit on the program (although I was okay with either Giff or Hatcher- take your pick). Giff is so highly thought of that Paul held him over in the same position from Gailey's staff.

[PaladinFan]

Paul is an offensive mastermind, and a tremendous taskmaster as well.

Overlooked in all of this are two former GSU folks who are now at Tech who have put their own stamp on the program:

Mike Sewak (former GSU HC after Paul and OC under Paul) is the OL coach and there isn't a better coach of offensive linemen in an option scheme in college football- bar none.

Giff Smith (former GSU all american DL and asst coach under Paul, also gave the eulogy at Coach Russell's service) is the recruiting coordinator and he is a dynamic recruiter. In fact I supported hiring him as HC at GSU in both instances after the firing of Mike Sewak and when Brian Van Gonad quit on the program (although I was okay with either Giff or Hatcher- take your pick). Giff is so highly thought of that Paul held him over in the same position from Gailey's staff.


Coach Hatcher notwithstanding, are there any among you that think firing Sewak was a good idea for the program long term?

[blueballs]

I have no affiliation with any school that Paul Johnson has been at, but i am a huge fan. I'm convinced that he has the best offensive mind in the country. Not only is this offense working, but he doesn't even have the players for it. I can't wait to see this offense in action once he has a couple of explosive slot backs.
There is no better offense than the flexbone, it must have been such a treat to be a GSU fan back in the day and being able to watch tracy ham and AP, i have to imagine that jayson would be monstrous in the bone, even moreso than he was last year

I think the most fun year was 1999. That team was FUN to watch, literally a weekly clininc and the NC game that year was one of the most dominant displays of the option offense you'll ever see.

GSU was absolutely LOADED offensively that year with Adrian Peterson (Payton Award), Greg Hill at QB (SoCon POTY), Chris Johnson at WR (he is still in the Arena league), Bennie Cunningham (all conference...4.4 speed) at slot back, and two first team all americans in Rich McGrath and Mark "Bus" Williams (Jacobs Trophy) on the OL. That group averaged 50 ppg and over 440 rushing/game over a 15 game season.xeekx

[blueballs]

Coach Hatcher notwithstanding, are there any among you that think firing Sewak was a good idea for the program long term?


I don't want to open that can of worms here but I'll sum it up by saying it was a very controversial move by the AD and the program is only now starting to recover from it.

[GATA]

Coach Hatcher notwithstanding, are there any among you that think firing Sewak was a good idea for the program long term?

It was a terrible idea to fire Sewak. And even if we had to let him go...our AD could have done a better job with the situation and maybe promoted somebody on the staff (to preserve continuity and the offense).

There is no way our AD didn't know that firing Sewak and bringing in BVG was equivalent to burning our program to the ground and starting over again. You only make a move that drastic when your program REALLY stinks. We were a playoff team with an offense putting up 40+ points a game. Nebraska's stupid AD made the same mistake and they're actually worse off than we are because Callahan was there for so long.

I just hate it when AD's do crap like that. It would be like Coca Cola scrapping their formula and coming out with "new coke" just for the hell of it...oh wait...they did that?....yeah...it was a disaster!

However, I AM a Hatcher fan and the current situation with the program isn't his fault. I hope he can be the guy to get us back to being a top tier team again.

[Reign of Terrier]

The triple option is designed for teams that don't have good players, being at GT they will have better players making the option more dangerous.

[soweagle]

Coach Hatcher notwithstanding, are there any among you that think firing Sewak was a good idea for the program long term?

I like Hatcher a lot and none of this is in any way his fault but IMHO we lost our identity when we lost the triple option. I'm hoping hatcher will establish a new identity that includes chamionships. Three years later, I still can't get used to not seeing the TO.

[94Terrier]

I wouldn't go as far to say that the triple option is designed for teams that don't have good players. A lot of smaller schools like to run the triple option for a miriad of reasons. More and more teams run a flex, west coast, pro style, etc offense and team's defenses are designed accordingly. When you only see the T.O. once a year, you don't really design your defense around 1 game. Also, smaller schools have a more difficult time trying to get that elusive passing quarterback and quality wide receivers at the same time, when the same players can go to a slightly larger (or quite large) school and get more exposure. Usually if you are playing at a smaller school that runs the T.O., you aren't quite tall enough or quite fast enough to play at a larger school. Doesn't mean you don't have talent, just not the same physical attributes that the larger schools desire. GT would get the kid that's .2 seconds faster in the 40, and the slower kid might end up at a school like Wofford.

[Hoyadestroya85]

I know the Socon used to be a heavy running conference, what kinda defensive formations would teams use to counteract the option?

[94Terrier]

Good question. Stopping the option is more about staying at home and discipline, and not chasing ball. When Richmond defeated Wofford (dammit) in last year's playoffs, they played a very disciplined defense and did not over-pursue. Sceme-wise, I'm probably not the best person to answer that question.

[GATA]

The triple option is designed for teams that don't have good players, being at GT they will have better players making the option more dangerous.

I don't think it was designed for teams that don't have good players.

Back in the good ole days Texas and Oklahoma used to dominate people running the option out of the wishbone and they had GREAT players.

It just seems like it was designed for teams with "bad" players by coincidence because teams like Air Force and Navy use it. Teams with a recruiting disadvantage would be wise to ALWAYS use an offense that is different from what most of the country is doing. You never want to put yourself in the situation where you have to compete directly for the same players that everybody else wants because you're going to lose that battle everytime.

If most I-A schools ran some form of Wishbone/Flexbone option game, then I guarantee you that Air Force and Navy would be running the West Coast offense. They wouldn't have to compete with anybody to get big, slow, white, pocket passing QBs like Ben Roethlisberger or Chad Henne because nobody else would want them.

[introvertedGSUfan]

Bear Bryant ran the Wishbone with a great deal of success at Alabama as well.

[GATA]

I know the Socon used to be a heavy running conference, what kinda defensive formations would teams use to counteract the option?

I would ask somebody from Furman. They always seemed to be pretty good at slowing it down.

I think I remember them using something like 4 Dlineman and 4 linebackers.

[OL FU]

I would ask somebody from Furman. They always seemed to be pretty good at slowing it down.

I think I remember them using something like 4 Dlineman and 4 linebackers.

That sounds familiar. But I think the key is what someone else said which is responsibility defense. You are responsible for this part of the field or this player as the option swings to one side or the other regardless of who has the ball and where he is going. You stay on your man whether he is in the action or not. Even if the guy with the ball starts runninng your way. If that player isn't your responsibility you are to assume that another D player will make the hit. I think we had a couple of benefits covering it. First we use to run some option ourself so our D wasn't going into the game blind. Second, at least for a while, we seemed to play GSU and Wofford back to back which gave us some extended practice at coverage and third, FU used to be one of the more disciplined teams in the SoCon (especially during BJ's reign, and I am not saying we aren't anymore but I don't think the discipline level is quite as high as it used to be) and that discipline and coaching provided the ingredients for Furman to have some success against the TO.

[soweagle]

I heard that Boston College practiced running to a certain spot instead of running for the ball carrier. Tech beat them but that seemed like a good way to prepare for the option.