12/9/2001 - Football
Paul Johnson Named Head Football Coach At The Naval Academy
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Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Sunday that Paul Johnson will be the 36th head football coach at the Naval Academy. Johnson comes to Navy from Georgia Southern, where he has posted a 62-9 (.873) record, won two straight I-AA National Championships (1999 and 2000), five straight Southern Conference championships and has been named the Division I-AA National Coach of the Year four consecutive times (1997-2000). Johnson, whose team defeated Appalachian State, 38-24, in the I-AA quarterfinals, will continue to coach the Eagles (12-1) in its bid for an unprecedented third straight national title.
"I am very excited that Paul Johnson is returning to Annapolis to be our head football coach," said VADM John Ryan, USN, Superintendent at the Naval Academy. "His offensive system is a proven commodity at not only the I-AA level, but the I-A level as well. He has been a winner at every place he has coached. On three different occasions he has taken over struggling programs as either an offensive coordinator (Hawaii and Navy) or as a head coach (Georgia Southern) and has won immediately. I believe years from now people will point to Dec. 9, 2001, as the day the Naval Academy turned around its football program."
"I am extremely pleased that our search has come to such a successful conclusion," said Gladchuk. "The Naval Academy has attracted one of the most accomplished football coaches in the game. Paul's incredible background of winning coupled with the respect he has earned from virtually everyone in the profession instills credibility and confidence in our ambition to return Navy to the ranks of our nation's elite programs. We are impressed with his commitment to education and to the welfare of his student-athletes. Our midshipmen will benefit greatly both on and off the field from his leadership, vision, organizational skills and his will to win."
"I am excited about having the chance to return to the Naval Academy," said Johnson. "I look forward to working with the administration and the Brigade to get things turned around. The administration has made a huge commitment to turn the football program around and I am looking forward to the challenge."
Johnson comes to Annapolis with a long list of accomplishments, none more impressive than his .873 career winning percentage as a head coach, which is far and away the best active winning percentage in all of Division I football. Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer (.826, 95-20) ranks a distant second.
Since Johnson took over as head coach at Georgia Southern in 1997, he has returned the Eagles to national prominence - statistically and in the won-lost ledger. In addition to Georgia Southern's 62-9 mark, the Eagles have scored 2,838 points (40 points per game), picked up 25,757 rushing yards (362.8 yards per game), 7,721 passing yards (108.7 yards per game) and 33,478 total yards (471.5 yards per game). In addition, GSU has scored 378 touchdowns in the Johnson Era - an average of 5.3 per game. The Eagles' scoring margin under Johnson is +21.5 (40.0-18.5).
Johnson picked up a milestone victory in last year's I-AA National Championship game against Montana. Not only did the 27-25 victory give Georgia Southern its second straight national title, but it was Johnson's 50th career win in four seasons. Only three other coaches in the history of Division I football have won 50 or more games in four seasons as Johnson joined Walter Camp (1888-1891, 54-2 at Yale), George Woodruff (1892-1895, 53-4 at Penn) and Bob Pruett (1996-99, 50-4 at Marshall) on the exclusive list.
Johnson took over a Georgia Southern program in 1997 that was 4-7 the previous year and orchestrated a turnaround which ranks among the NCAA's best ever, directing the Eagles to a 10-3 record, which equaled the school's best mark since 1989. His rebuilding efforts were justly rewarded by his peers and media members as he earned Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors while also picking up national tributes from the American Football Coaches Association and American Football Quarterly.
In 1998, Johnson guided the Eagles to a perfect 11-0 regular season record and the school's sixth NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Game appearance before finishing with a 14-1 mark. He directed a high-powered offensive unit which tied or broke 100 records during the campaign, and again, earned the league's top coaching honor and received national praise as the recipient of The Sports Network's Eddie Robinson Award - symbolic of the division's national coach-of-the-year selection.
In 1999, Johnson got Georgia Southern back to the national championship game and this time they won it, as the Eagles finished 13-2, broke 197 records and won the school's fifth national title. For his efforts, Johnson was honored as the 1999 American Football Coaches Association and Chevrolet I-AA National Coach of the Year.
The Eagles came back in 2000 and won its second straight national championship, posting a 13-2 record. Johnson was named the American Football Coaches Association I-AA Coach of the Year.
In four-plus seasons, Johnson's squads have broken or tied 389 individual and team school, conference, playoff or stadium records, ranked in the top ten in 21 statistical categories and produced 31 All-America selections. The Eagles have won an NCAA I-AA record 39 consecutive games at home (the streak is current), breaking their own mark of 38, and its 52 wins over the last three-plus seasons is the most in all of Division I. Georgia Southern has produced 300 yards or more of total offense in 53 of their last 58 games and picked up 400 or more yards of total offense in 45 of the last 57 contests. Fullback Adrian Peterson has rushed for 6,668 yards in his career, which is the most in the history of Division I football.
Although lost at times in the glitz and glamour of Johnson's explosive offensive unit, Georgia Southern has also had an excellent defense. This year's Eagles defense could rank as the best ever at Georgia Southern as it ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (fourth), total defense (sixth) and pass defense (second). The defense has allowed just 12 points per game in 2001, a school record.
Johnson was Navy's offensive coordinator in 1995 and 1996 and his spread offense made an immediate impact as the offense broke five school records during the Mids' five-win season in 1995, equaling the most wins by a Navy team since 1990.
Navy came back in year two under Johnson and exploded, posting a 9-3 record, including a 42-38 victory over California in the Aloha Bowl. It was Navy's first winning season since 1982 and one of only two winning seasons the Mids have had in the last 19 years (the other being in 1997 when Navy went 7-4 running the spread offense under the direction of Johnson prot?g? Ken Niumatalolo). Navy's appearance in the Aloha Bowl was the Mids first bowl appearance since 1981 and just its ninth bowl appearance in school history. Navy finished the '96 season ranked fifth nationally in rushing offense (283.6 yards per game), 31st in total offense (407.7 yards per game) and 22nd in scoring offense (31.8 points per game). Quarterback Chris McCoy rushed for 1,228 yards and a school record 16 rushing touchdowns, while fullback Omar Nelson rushed for 857 yards.
Though Johnson left for Georgia Southern after the 1996 season, his offense remained for two more years, as McCoy became just the 10th quarterback in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a season in 1997. McCoy had 20 rushing touchdowns in '97, a NCAA record for quarterbacks.
"Coach Johnson will do an outstanding job," said Nelson ('97), who starred for two years at fullback in Johnson's system. "He is a motivator and his teams are always well prepared. When I played for Coach Johnson the offense had a swagger about it, we expected to score every time we had the ball, because we were always so well prepared. I never saw anything in a game that I wasn't prepared for in practice. He is also a straight shooter; players will know where they stand. If you stink, he will tell you that you stink. The Naval Academy needs a coach that will be straight with them, guys there are too smart to play mind games with."
"Next to my father there is no one I respect more than Coach Johnson," said Ben Fay ('97) who was a brilliant backup and part-time starter at quarterback behind McCoy in 1995-96. "I really believe in his system and his teams will always be prepared. He was a major reason we were so successful."
"This is a great day in the history of Navy football," said Ross Scott ('98) who played wide receiver and slot back for Johnson. "He is the best coach I've ever played for and he will bring excitement back to Navy football. The returning players should be excited, because they are getting the opportunity to play for one of the best."
"Coach Johnson is the perfect selection for the Navy head coaching job," said Astor Heaven ('97), who played wide receiver for Johnson. "As our offensive coordinator, we had total confidence in him. His leadership and knowledge of the game made our offense one of the best in the country. We expected to score on every possession, and I am positive that he can do the same for this Navy team. Navy will post a lot of wins with Johnson at the helm and I can't wait to hear his southern drawl getting those boys into shape."
"I could not imagine playing for a better coach than Coach Johnson," said Brian Drechsler ('98) a three-year letterwinner at center. "He is a very intense individual that loves to win and a master on offensive strategy. The players will love to play in this offense and let's face it, it works. The last time Navy was worth a damn on offense was when we ran the triple option and either he ('95-'96) or Niumatalolo ('97-'98) were calling the plays. He will be a perfect fit at Navy; all he wants to do is win. He will evoke the winning attitude that is so essential to a winning program."
"You can't deny his genius in developing and running the offense we won with in '95-'97, but what makes him so much more than a brilliant offensive mind is his ability to develop relationships with the players," said Clint Bruce ('97), a star linebacker on the 1996 Aloha Bowl team. "He was just plain fun to play for. He's a blue collar guy who believes in all the things that make the gridiron the special place it is. I think he and I almost fought once on the practice field, because we are both so intense, and you have to love a man like that. Coach Johnson just flat knows how to win. I couldn't be more excited for Navy Football. I wish I could suit back up."
Prior to joining the Navy staff, Johnson spent eight seasons as the offensive coordinator at the University of Hawaii. He helped guide the Rainbows to their first-ever-Western Athletic Conference title and their first-ever bowl appearance coordinating an explosive offense that broke or equaled over 160 school records.
While at Hawaii from 1987 to 1994, Johnson developed a successful offensive unit which earned top 20 I-A statistical rankings in scoring offense, total offense and rushing offense during six of his eight seasons. He earned Top Offensive Coach honors in the WAC and was named one of the top 10 assistant coaches in the country by The Sporting News.
Arriving at Georgia Southern in 1983 as defensive line coach, Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator by Russell in 1985. Under his tutelage, record-setting quarterback Tracy Ham and the Eagle offense rewrote the school record book 75 times while averaging 435 total yards and 36 points per contest. Georgia Southern rolled to a combined 26-4 (.867) record while capturing a pair of I-AA titles in 1985-86.
Johnson's coaching career began when he was offensive coordinator and line coach at alma mater Avery County (N.C.) High School in 1979-80. He accepted the offensive coordinator's position at Lees McRae Junior College in 1981, leading his offensive unit to a sixth-place national standing among NJCAA total offense leaders.
Johnson, a native of Newland, N.C., earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in physical education from Western Carolina in 1979 before following with a Master's of Science Degree in health and physical education from Appalachian State in 1982.
He and wife Susan are the parents of a daughter, Kaitlyn (8).
The Johnson File
Awards & Honors:
*2000 American Football Coaches Association NCAA I-AA National Coach-of-the-Year
*1999 American Football Coaches Association NCAA I-AA National Coach-of-the-Year
*1999 Chevrolet NCAA I-AA National Coach-of-the-Year
*1998 Sports Network NCAA I-AA National Coach-of-the-Year (Eddie Robinson Award winner)
*1997 Schutt Sports/American Football Quarterly NCAA I-AA National Coach-of-the-Year
*1997, 1998, 1999 American Football Coaches Association Division I-AA Region II Coach-of-the-Year
*1997, 1998 Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year (Sports Media Association)
*1997, 1998 Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year (Coaches)
Accomplishments:
*Became only the fourth coach in Division I (A or AA) since 1900 to have won 50 games in his first four years as a head coach
*Set GSU regular-season record for wins by first-year head coach (nine in 1997)
*Became only second Southern Conference coach since 1984 to win league title in first year
*Equaled Georgia Southern regular-season record for wins (11 in 1998)
*Became first Georgia Southern coach ever to lead team to playoffs in first four years ('97, '98, '99, '00)
*Current winning percentage of .873 (62-9) ranks first in Division I
*Guided a program which has broken or tied 379 team and individual records (51 in 2000)
Experience:
Avery County (N.C.) High School (Assistant Coach, 1979-80)
Lees McRae Junior College (Offensive Coordinator, 1981-82)
Georgia Southern University (Offensive Coordinator , 1983-86)
University of Hawaii (Offensive Coordinator, 1987-94)
Naval Academy (Offensive Coordinator, 1995-96)
Georgia Southern (Head Coach, 1997-01)
Naval Academy (Head Coach, 2002)
Education:
Western Carolina University, Bachelor of Science ('79)
Appalachian State University, Master of Science ('82)
