More Paul Johnson on special teams
Greetings-
This is the portion of the interview from coach Paul Johnson’s Monday post-practice media session that dealt with special-teams coaching. I’m not sure how it reads, but I’d say his voice reflected agitation but he was pretty calm throughout. I’m about to head to the Tuesday news conference. I’ll have notes posted about 12:30. Thanks.
On the call for a special-teams coach:
The whole thing is ridiculous. Guys calling for special teams coordinators don’t have any idea. You know how many teams in the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten have special teams coordinators that don’t coach another position?
Six. You know who it is in our league? Boston College – which is helping them a lot – and N.C. State. And the Big Ten, it’s Purdue. In the Big 12, it’s Kansas State. I think it’s Coach (Bill) Snyder’s son. Most staffs are set up the same as ours.
Coach (Charles) Kelly is quote-unquote the special teams coordinator, which means he collects and puts things together for the book. He has the punt team (and) punt return team. Other coaches are assigned areas of special teams. It’s been that way everywhere I’ve ever coached for 32 years. Sometimes, you’re better than others. It’s like Coach Kelly. I asked him today: Are you coaching the punt team any different than you did with (2007 second-team All-American punter) Durant Brooks? (Kelly’s response) No, coaching ‘em the same.
On his track record:
We’ve had good special teams before. If I was sitting there and evaluating the tape and I’m looking at the schemes and I’m looking at what we’re doing and it’s totally screwed up, then you’ve got problems. But you can look at it: We’re doing the same stuff that everybody is.
In fact, this summer, we went up to the Falcons. Mike (Smith) and I are pretty good friends. He gave us access to their special teams coach and we went up there and spent two days. We’re doing the same stuff they’re doing. It’s the same schemes, it’s the same stuff. It’s like, if you want to be negative, you can find stuff to be negative about no matter what you want. It’s just the nature of the beast.
On the problem being related to the specialists:
I’m hesitant to say that because that’d be throwing somebody under the bus.
I don’t think there’s very many people in college who are coaching the punter. The guy either punts it or he doesn’t. The guy hits one 52 yards and the next one 13. Nobody’s saying, ‘Hit it 13 yards.’ Kickoff, you kick one four yards deep in the end zone the next one you hit belt high.
On if it’s not a matter of coaching:
It is what it is. I promise you nobody told him to try to pick the ball up inside the 10. It happens. That’s why they play the game. Do we have to get better at it? Yeah, you bet. I mean I’m frustrated we’re not better at it because we practice it every day and what we’re doing is sound. We’ve just got to be better at it. I think if you asked the kids, they’d be the first to tell you it’s important. We talk about it, we practice it.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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71 comments Add your comment
Alabama Techster
October 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
One thing Bobby Dodd stressed when he coached was that a right-legged kicker should kick to the left sidelines. That way, if he shanked the ball, it was still in play. I don’t see Tech nor many other teams that practice this simple technique. Someone needs to get this kind of good advice and put it into practice to avoid the 10 yard kicks we’ve been getting.
Technically Correct
October 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
Remember the “Boo Birds?” I hate to say it, but, like the swallows at San Juan Capistrano, I suspect they will return to BDS before the season ends, unless CPJ turns things around PDQ!
yeller bug
October 25th, 2011
1:41 pm
Whether it’s the Cheetah or Pink Pony, just keep the rest of us abreast of how it goes. I’m sure it would be a titulating experience.
CT_Jacket
October 25th, 2011
1:43 pm
I’m not a football expert and neither are any of the posters on this blog. I wouldn’t say it’s arrogance to refute the need to hire a special teams coach when almost all of the other schools do not have one or to disagree with self-appointed experts.
I’m frustrated by the team’s performance just like all of the other Tech fans. I’m sure Raven fans are frustrated by the loss to a 1-5 Jacksonville team. However good Tech looked against the first six teams, they are not performing as well now. They are also a young team, one of the youngest in D-1 with among the fewest starts. While CPJ has recruited most of this team, Tech still needs to build experienced depth to offset injuries.
I still think that Tech has its best ahead of them. Vad will be at QB. The D will have more experience in the 3-4 with some experience in the secondary. The OL will have more depth and experience too.
All of the “experts” said that a good year for Tech would be 8 wins. I think we can still get there.
SilverandBlack
October 25th, 2011
1:43 pm
Tech is destined for a 6-7 season people!!! This season is over and the CPJ era is finished!!!!! Mark my words 6-7…GT will not win another game!! Koolaid drinkers are on notice!!
Big Ed
October 25th, 2011
1:45 pm
I do indeed need a tums,,,the past 4 Sat’s Eve’s and will for the next few + a Thurs.
No more loyal GT fan than I, so the “you are really a leg humper” stuff is pointless.
I just happen to be tired of you “we’ll be better next yr, we’ll have better recruits next yr” people. We are in year 4…been worse every yr since the first with every one of the “johnson’s” recruiting class’s.
You may be correct on SHill out of HS…but YET AGAIN, you can not seem to grasp the fact that you have to “PRACTICE” to get better!!! “Practice” what you will do or need to do in the game!!
If all you do is run Sims up the middle for 3 yards, when you get to 3rd & long, and need to pass, you DO NOT KNOW HOW!!!! And can NOT execute it.
Asking TW to pass to SH when your nuts are on fire, attempted 2 passes all game, with 1:30 to play, down by 4 and 80 yards to go, is simply a coaching disaster.
Have you not ever seen us play? The last 2 Ugag games come to mind…plus many others.
Again….D Coordinators dream: Triple option teams….
Wood telephone poles did not go away because we ran out of trees….we simply found a better way…AKA – the forward passing game…..
Tech Troll 13
October 25th, 2011
1:48 pm
GT Bob
Absolutely right. 1990 was great but 1987 was 2-9 and 1988 was 3-8.
A lot of our issues come from playing young players. Laskey made a dumb play, but NO amount of coaching keeps that from happening. I’ve coached at the high school level and young teams make dumb mistakes and they have trouble winning on the road. Not enough experience and not enough time in the weight room, and they are only solved with time.
As for recruiting, I’ve been a season ticket holder for 30 years and we have not and will not be loaded with 4 & 5 star recruits. We will get a few, but not a roster full, so we need a system like the TO which gives us any advantage we can get. If recruits were the answer, the mutts would have more than one NC.
It was said “winning eliminates criticism”. That’s not true because CPJ was being critizised before the VA game.
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 25th, 2011
1:51 pm
Tech may very well come out and smoke Clemson. I hope so, for the player’s sake.
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 25th, 2011
2:01 pm
Before the UVA game ,you could see that special team mistakes were going to cost Tech when they played better teams. The offense started coming apart after the Kansas game. That is what prompted the criticism.
DawginLex
October 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
Maybe this will be the shootout I thought last week would be.
Our game won’t be. Probably 20-13 or 21-17.
Yours may be 63-49
I’m trying to come up with justification to pick Tech but it is just not there for me.
Maybe later in the week…………….
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 25th, 2011
2:10 pm
Lex, hang in there. UGA and Tech have big games Saturday. Hope they both have reason to celebrate.
Hayseed Dixie
October 25th, 2011
2:11 pm
@Big Ed
Practice, huh? The average amount of work done at a Georgia Tech two-a-day would probably make your eyes fall out of your head.
Our QB has gone cold, it’s that simple: it happens to Cy Young millionaires and landscapers alike. Put your panties back on.
@Tech Troll 13
You’re making waaaay too much sense. We’ll have none of that here. Ha ha.
When I saw the Laskey play, I thought, “well, here’s hoping he inoculated himself from ever making that mistake again.” It was bonehead, but he’s just young- it happens.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
October 25th, 2011
2:31 pm
Sims @QB
Lyons @BB
Simple as that..
Ramblin Man
October 25th, 2011
2:31 pm
Well I was going to watch the rest of the games this season but since SilverandBlack said the season is over I guess I can now just plan hunting trips on Saturdays.
I can only hope the O gets a spark and the D builds off of the Miami game and GT gets the win. If we don’t I hope we see improvement from the last three weeks and I will be happy and be able to look forward to things improving in bye week aqnd a good game against VT. By the way UGA fans that love to hate, why do you want GT to loss so bad? You do realize that if GT is playing well it looks better for UGA for strength of schedule? Your obsession amazes me sometimes.
Dawginlex,
I wish your team good luck this weekend. Will be interesting to see how Brantley does if he does actually play.
Ramblin Man
October 25th, 2011
2:33 pm
If Sims made the right reads and could throw the ball don’t you think he would be playing QB instead of BB in the first place?
duece coupe
October 25th, 2011
2:34 pm
Clemson is 0-3
in the last three visits to Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Keep the streak alive (somehow).
juvenal
October 25th, 2011
2:37 pm
criticism ramped up post 6-7 last year & 2 straight losses to uga, including 1 of the most annoying-have always pointed out things i thought could go better, but usually i was in the in the minority-and said some time was needed, but next year or 2 about enough for trend data…13, if he never lost a game, even i would probably shut up…….lsu was disturbing, & most of losses go like that…..
juvenal
October 25th, 2011
2:57 pm
key seems to be hitting high% of whatever passes you throw-USN having problems, now, too…..
Tech Troll 13
October 25th, 2011
4:12 pm
1st year – good record & beat mutts
2nd year – ACC Championship (Clemson hasn’t won since 1991)
3rd year – 6-7 lost starting qb, not many teams survive that. Not to mention 4 juniors to NFL
4th year – 6-2 with second youngest team in college football
Bobby Ross
1st year 2-9
2nd year 3-8
3rd year 7-4
4th year 11-0-1
5th year 7-5
Should we have bailed on Ross after two years?
We have scored more points under CPJ than ever before. TW may not be the guy to lead us in the future, but you don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.
TechLB
October 27th, 2011
8:29 am
SavannahJacket – Preach on my brother! You are right on the money!!
GIVE ME…Tech can not recruit great Players? We can, although with limited degree programs AND the necessity of passing advanced math we will not get as many for sure. We must recruit better though, definitely a weak spot for our program.
Big Ed …Same, you’re on the wrong track man, we can recruit great players.
Offense haters – Seriously, I guess people hate what they don’t understand. Good athletes + execution = Wins then everyone loves the Triple option.
NFL Scouts are pretty dang detailed and informed. They recruit for size and speed. Will we look the same as a “Pro-Style” offense? Of course not. Can we have an explosive passing attack along with the explosive running game? You’ve seen it when executed already this year.
So, if Calvin Johnson were catching those passes for this team or Dyer were running down the sideline the NFL would ignore them? Right…our issue is quality players so those play are made in big games against ranked opponents, which comes back to recruiting.
Go Jackets!!
TechLB
October 27th, 2011
8:31 am
* Oops – Add a “w” for Dwyer