Johnson responds to critics
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson made for pretty entertaining radio Wednesday night on his weekly show on 790 the Zone. Johnson took calls from listeners who challenged him on all matters regarding the team and its disappointing 3-5 record. Johnson even proactively addressed issues that have been raised by fans and media about the team before they were brought up, namely quarterback Tevin Washington.
I’m not sure how these read, but I wouldn’t call his tone defensive. Even-keeled and firm, certainly. Perhaps defiant. You can listen here through the Tech iTunes page.
On the season:
“We’ve lost two games in overtime. It isn’t making excuses, it’s just facts. We’ve lost two games in overtime. We lost the one at Clemson after being ahead in the fourth quarter. Is Sammy Watkins a really good player? Yes. Is DeAndre Hopkins at Clemson a really good player? Yes, but all in all we played with them to toe to toe until we fumbled the snap on 4th and 1 from the 7-yard line. If we don’t fumble the snap, maybe we go up two scores in the fourth quarter and it’s different. It wasn’t like when we lined up, we couldn’t line up and they were knocking us off the ball.”
On the BYU loss:
“We were horrid on third down in that game but if you go back and look for the rest of the year, we were probably tops in the league or second in the league. Last year, we were second in the country. We’ve been pretty good on third down.”
On recruiting:
“If we want to be honest, recruiting’s about the same as it has been. We can rewrite history, but the facts are the facts. I think we have some good players. We’ve got to be better. If we don’t play better, your point will be proven. If we do, mine will be proven that we’ve got some pretty good players.”
On recruiting and talent level:
“We’re trying to compete in the conference that we’re in, and if you look at it, we’ve played five times, we’ve been ahead five (times in the fourth quarter). If the talent level is that bad, then we must be doing a hell of a job coaching to stay in there and I don’t think that’s the case. So I think that the talent level is not as bad as you think. We’ve got to finish the games. Now, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. I got you – we need to win the games. I just don’t see the gloom and doom that everybody wants to buy into.”
On the team’s intensity:
“I think intensity has not been a strong suit of this team, I would agree. That’s something that we’ve got to find and I’ve got to do a better job of as a coach.”
On his record and quarterback Tevin Washington:
“There’s an overall body of work. When the time comes, if it’s not good enough, do what you’ve got to do but you don’t have to re-set your standards and you shouldn’t be judged on every series or every play or every game. And the quarterback shouldn’t be judged on every play, of every series, of every game.
He has an overall body of work. He can do what he can do. He can’t control punts getting blocked, he can’t control whatever, and the only thing I can tell you is the kid is busting his tail doing everything he can do for Georgia Tech. And I promise you, I go to practice every day, and if I thought the other guy would help us win, he would be playing.
And I’m not ready to throw away the season – and I’m not saying if we put the other guy in, we’ll throw away the season – he may very well play this week. But it’s not going to be because somebody tells me to do it. It’s going to be because I think he gives our football team the best chance. Because my job is to try to give us the best chance to win the game. I see those guys every day we practice. I know there’s a lot of people out there that can do my job better than I can. I gotcha. I understand that. But pardon me if I’m not going to listen to everybody who tells me who I should be playing, what I should be doing.
I’ve managed to survive for 34 years doing what I’m doing without getting fired and we’ve won a lot of games. If I’m going to go down, I’m going to go down doing what I do and knowing what I know. So that’s it in a nutshell.”
On play-calling:
“You try to call the plays that people can run. You can have 100 plays and if you can’t run ’em, it doesn’t do any good to call ’em. I don’t mean this in a bad way or whatever, but it’s not like PlayStation, where you just pick a play. You have guys out there who can do certain things. And if guys struggle pulling, you don’t run the pulling plays. If guys aren’t as good at throwing one way, you try to throw the other way. That’s all the things that you know from being with those guys every day in practice and going into the game plan.”
“People say, ‘Well, when Vad goes in the game, you call a different game.’ Well, I try to do what Vad (Lee) can do better as opposed to forcing something else. Now there’s a point that it doesn’t matter just what Vad can do, you have to do whatever everybody playing with Vad can do. That’s part of coaching. We’ve got a lot of plays and people have probably made it – and I’m probably my own worst enemy by saying, ‘Hey, we run five or six plays and we do variations.’ – it’s a little more complicated than that. But we try to run the plays that give us the best chance to win the game.”
In case you missed it…
Washington, Lee keep relationship smooth
Tech scrambling to prepare for Maryland QB
On Tech ending its kick-return drought
Johnson says it’s not time to panic
Heisman biography offers revealing history
Notes: B-backs struggling to produce
Notes: Johnson mum on starting quarterback
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
439 comments Add your comment
techmule
November 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
its time to tell p. j. bye bye, see you later, he has indeed show us what he can do (nothing right) if he thinks tevin is our best chance to win( than as a fan and a ticket holder)i am not buying anymore tickets.P.J.tevin is no where the near the best q.back you have got on the roster.he might be the oldest.NOW what we do have hear and you have proven it time after time is you are just as worse if not worser than CHAN GAILEY and tevin washington as REGGIE BALL combanation. your team i ment our team is as good as our coaches are and right now yall are not good at all.YOu need to pack your bag and go home.there are millons more that can do a better job than you can.You are a good man am sure.No doubt about it. I sure wish you could make me eat my words and put the best players and not yours on field that could and would win out the rest of our games this year. .P.S. your players are really out of shape bad.I have never seen a team play a so so slow motion game.There are no speed, none what so ever.Hands on hips all the time,nor tackle either sick sick sick sick, coach theres no excuses.you have fell this every year with this team for not having them in shape 4 the season starts. proof is in the pudding just watch these last games .SLOW ,HIPS ON THIGHS.HANDS IN THE AIR,YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO HAVE HIM NOT ME (TOUCH DOWN) FOR THE OTHER TEAM.how about handing that ball off in the middle just one more time PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE..Don’t disappoint me nowis that really reggie ball playing q.b.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
GT Bob-
Do you think if we fire him that his replacement is going to go 10-1?
NO I DON’T Thats the whole point smart guy. Are you sort of slow? I would rather re-build with a guy going upward than wast another year with a guy who’s trend is DOWN!!!!!! Look at the record since 2009.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Counting that UGA game, Tech is 18-19 over the past thirty-seven games. That’s lousy compared to the 19-5 start Johnson initially had.
How is this not a downward trend Bob? Nobody said anything about the offense. I think the offense would work with more talent. It hink any system would work in college with enough talent. Yes the offense he runs is not very attractive to blue chip recruits but The real problem is on defense anyway. No real talent on that side o f the ball.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Dawg Fauthful-
You couldn’t be more wrong!!!!!!!!! He’s not working on bad season #3, He’s already there….
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Downward trend since 2009 Bob. Downward trend since 2009 Bob. Downward trend since 2009 Bob. Downward trend since 2009 Bob. Downward trend since 2009 Bob.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
He has had 2 bad seasons and working on 3.
He has only had one bad season so far. 8-5 at GT with a home win over a top rated team is not a bad season. That is one of the annoying things about some GT fans. They have expectations for 10 win seasons every year even though history doesn’t support it.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:18 pm
How is this not a downward trend Bob?
He went 6-7 in 2010. He went 8-5 in 2011. How is that a downward trend?
DawgNole
November 2nd, 2012
2:20 pm
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
12:51 pm
Why would we care about the number of NFL players CPJ is producing? Maybe I am weird but I am more concerned with how they do in college then the NFL.
_______________________
. . . more concerned with how they do in college “then” the NFL.
Amazing–considering your apparent ability to write clearly–that you STILL don’t know the difference betwee “then” and “than.” I’ve even pointed it out to you before (so no, it’s not a typo). Good thing you’re not seeking credibility on these blogs, because that kind of ignorance certainly undermines it.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:21 pm
No real talent on that side o f the ball.
I don’t believe that either. Rod Sweeting, Isaiah Johnson, Jabari Hunt Days, TJ Barnes, and several others were heavily recruited by big programs. Our defense isn’t a bunch of 1 star nobodies.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:22 pm
BOB- You are slow….. 18 and 19 since 2009 and the wins are against some of the worst programs in the NCAA….. What else can be said………
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:22 pm
Good thing you’re not seeking credibility on these blogs, because that kind of ignorance certainly undermines it.
Good thing you have grammar responses to fall back on since you don’t apparently have anything to add to the conversation.
Al Bundy
November 2nd, 2012
2:23 pm
Wow! After reading this and the comments, I feel better. I think this one is my favorite!
“I’ve managed to survive for 34 years doing what I’m doing without getting fired and we’ve won a lot of games. If I’m going to go down, I’m going to go down doing what I do and knowing what I know. So that’s it in a nutshell.” A coach who refuses to change will fail.
I support our players 100% and I don’t expect them to be perfect. But when I look at this team I can’t put my finger on one area of the game we do well. We have major problems in every area of the game and it’s not the players fault it’s poor coaching.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:24 pm
“He went 6-7 in 2010. He went 8-5 in 2011. How is that a downward trend”?
It’s a downward trend because he won 11 wins and 9wins the 2 years before that and he is working on a 5-6 win season now with blowout losses to BYU and MTSU.you really are dillusional.How is it not a downward trend since 2009?
I agree 8 wins is a decent season for tech but that should be the minimum requirement. Should be 8-10 wins every year with the conference you play in and the talent that surrounds the school in a 300 mile radius. Oh but recruiting doesnt matter to PJ though.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:24 pm
What else can be said
That you want to fire one of the most successful head coaches in GT history because you are upset that we are having a bad season.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:25 pm
“I’ve managed to survive for 34 years doing what I’m doing without getting fired and we’ve won a lot of games. If I’m going to go down, I’m going to go down doing what I do and knowing what I know. So that’s it in a nutshell.” A coach who refuses to change will fail.
He’s a stubborn Ahole
Booze Hound
November 2nd, 2012
2:25 pm
GTBob,
Johnson may have had the best winning percentage of any Tech coach during his first four years, but those years included three losses to Georgia and no bowl wins. You also need to keep in mind that two of Tech’s three previous coaches (Ross and O’Leary) took over teams essentially in shambles and turned them into winners within a few years. Johnson took over a team semi-stocked with NFL talent – now look at it almost five years later. Something’s clearly not going right.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:26 pm
bob-
He went 6-7 in 2010. He went 8-5 in 2011. How is that a downward trend?
A trend is an entire body of work not just two random seasons that you pick out….. Open your eyes.
18 and 19 since beating Duke with Chan Gailey’s players in 2009.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:27 pm
I agree 8 wins is a decent season for tech but that should be the minimum requirement.
GT has won 8 games or more 12 times in the last 52 years. That is 23% of the time. What in our history leads you to believe that it should be a minimum requirement? If it is then no coach has any chance of ever surviving at GT.
Flounder
November 2nd, 2012
2:28 pm
“I got you – we need to win the games. I just don’t see the gloom and doom that everybody wants to buy into.”
OK Coach … would you see the doom and gloom if your job and 2.6 Mil per year was threatened??
“If I’m going to go down, I’m going to go down doing what I do and knowing what I know. So that’s it in a nutshell.”
And there you have it … THAT’s the problem with this guy … he’s so stubborn he’d rather be fired than make proactive changes for the good of the players, the school, the alumni AND the GT football tradition. At this point, I say put that first “you’re fired” on his resume and send him packing.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:28 pm
“That you want to fire one of the most successful head coaches in GT history because you are upset that we are having a bad season.”
It’s not just one season Bob. The team is awful and the future is not bright. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. For crying out loud! Come back from the bizarro world. Look at the facts and listen to your fello wrambling wrecks. He’s never even won a bowl game.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:28 pm
A trend is an entire body of work not just two random seasons that you pick out….. Open your eyes.
I would agree, which is why im not ignoring his first two seasons like you seem to want to.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:30 pm
It’s not just one season Bob. The team is awful and the future is not bright.
While I appreciate your obviously unbiased opinion about GT I tend to disagree. I don’t think the future is as bleak as you think it is.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:30 pm
bob-
By the way he was playing with Gailey’s recruits in his glorious first seasons. What is he doing with his recruits?? Going downhill….. That is even more disturbing than the record…
Booze Hound
November 2nd, 2012
2:30 pm
George O’Leary > Paul Johnson and I can think of four reasons why: 21-19, 51-48, 27-15, and 10-6.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:31 pm
GT has won 8 games or more 12 times in the last 52 years. That is 23% of the time. What in our history leads you to believe that it should be a minimum requirement? If it is then no coach has any chance of ever surviving at GT.
Well for starters, how about that national title in 1990? Clemson has only won 1 title but they don’t settle for mediocrity. They continue to recruit the good players around there territory and don’t give me the academics crap. Calvin Johnson is not an honor student. Neither is jonathan dwyer and many others. There is no reason Techj can’t get some of these kids and be better than they are now.
Flounder
November 2nd, 2012
2:32 pm
Obama entered the White House in 2009 and I said to myself “wait and see what this guy can do to turn things around”. 4 years later we’re in an even bigger mess. I don’t wanna wait 4 more years to see what Johnson can do to turn things around. He’s had plenty of time.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:32 pm
Something’s clearly not going right.
You are right. Its not going well right now, but it’s not nearly time to fire everyone either. Knee jerk reactions because of frustration aren’t a good way to run a football team.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:32 pm
I’m not ignoring them BOB…..
It proves my whole point….. He has gotten worse as the years have gone by. Good Gosh…. You do work for the athletic dept. don’t you???
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:33 pm
“While I appreciate your obviously unbiased opinion about GT I tend to disagree. I don’t think the future is as bleak as you think it is.”
Oh really? What do you see on the horizon? a few 8 win seasons scattered into a bunch of 5-6 win seasons followed by ZERO bowl wins. That’s what I see and it’s not too bright.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:35 pm
That’s what I see and it’s not too bright.
You are a UGA fan and you hate GT with all of your inner soul. Sorry, but I don’t really care about your opinion on the future of our program.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:36 pm
Sorry Guys, I’m out…… I hate it that I agree more with Dawg fans than the GT fans on this blog but facts are facts……Bob quit being a homer…..
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:36 pm
Well for starters, how about that national title in 1990?
The one that was after a 7 win season and before an 8 win season? It was nice, but it was certainly not an ordinary season for GT.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:38 pm
BOB-
You are a UGA fan and you hate GT with all of your inner soul. Sorry, but I don’t really care about your opinion on the future of our program.
I am a GT fan and you hate his opinion because you know its right. The fact that you discount him shows your ignorance. Right is Right even if it wears red and black.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:39 pm
I hate it that I agree more with Dawg fans than the GT fans on this blog but facts are facts
Sorry, but its a little hard to believe you are a GT fan. Thanks for the conversation though.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:40 pm
The fact that you discount him shows your ignorance.
Yep, sorry. I have had a successful life by ignoring what UGA fans think. I plan to keep that upward trend going.
GTfan2012
November 2nd, 2012
2:46 pm
Wow, just wow. The idiotic criticism on this board is amazing. Let me let you in on a little secret, your ranting and raving on a message board isn’t going to change things. CPJ is acting exactly how I would expect any good coach to react when his team isn’t winning, he is not happy about it and he is trying to make changes. Maybe it won’t be successful, and then he will be fired. 2013 is a big year for CPJ and GT football. But he will be the coach in 2013… that is almost guaranteed. A new AD isn’t going to come in and fire the HC right away. Too risky. The new AD needs a scapegoat if things go poorly
Big Crimson 75
November 2nd, 2012
2:47 pm
You are right. Its not going well right now, but it’s not nearly time to fire everyone either. Knee jerk reactions because of frustration aren’t a good way to run a football team.
——–
Bobby — You’re beyond saving at this point.
Interestingly, the top 4 Teams in college football have 1 thing in common.
Bama, Oregon, K-State & ND all fired under-achieving coaches & replaced them with real coaches and look at the results.
TechApp fan
November 2nd, 2012
2:48 pm
@GT Fan….Tech does not have just an O or D problem. No TD in the last game=wow!
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:48 pm
“You are a UGA fan and you hate GT with all of your inner soul. Sorry, but I don’t really care about your opinion on the future of our program.”
It’s true what you say about me hating Tech but it’s beacuse of the fans like you. You know the super delusional that don’t know their ass form a hole in the ground.
I want to know what YOU think the direction of the program is under Johnson. I follow recruiting pretty closely and I am somewhat familiar with the top 25o recruits inamerica. I don’t recognize any of the names of the kids in your last 2-3 recruiting classes.
So tell me who you’re high on and who you’re expecting to be a difference maker in coming years.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
2:51 pm
“Yep, sorry. I have had a successful life by ignoring what UGA fans think. I plan to keep that upward trend going”
Bob,
With the idiotic comments you make on blog after blog, one can only imagine what kind of success you’ve seen in your life. I guess it depends on how you define success. I already know how you define “upward trend” so I’m a bit worried about your success level.
Big Crimson 75
November 2nd, 2012
2:53 pm
Bob — by your rationale,
Bama should have kept Shula.
ND should have kept Weiss.
Oregon should have kept Bellotti.
K-State should have kept Prince.
You’re the only person in the Free World that feels that way.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:55 pm
BOB-
Sorry, but its a little hard to believe you are a GT fan. Thanks for the conversation though.
That statement sums up GT fans like you…… I don’t agree with you so I must not be a fan.
You are an idiot. I care about this program unlike those of you who are satisfied sitting in your luxury boxes in your kakis and little yellow sweater vests and loafers who know jack $h+t about football but want to support the old program and not talk bad about it…
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:57 pm
Bama, Oregon, K-State & ND all fired under-achieving coaches & replaced them with real coaches and look at the results.
Lets look at K-State. Bill Snyders first 4 years:
1-10
5-6
7-4
5-6
Man, they should have fired that guy. He was way worse then CPJ.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
That statement sums up GT fans like you…… I don’t agree with you so I must not be a fan.
Sorry, but your name alone is a dead giveaway. The incredible hatred you have towards GT made it obvious.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Bob-
By the way My dad, uncle and brother in law all played football at GT. My grandad played hoops and baseball and I have been a fan since i was born 43 years ago and wore gold diapers. Not all GT fans are ignorant yes men…..
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
So tell me who you’re high on and who you’re expecting to be a difference maker in coming years.
Vad Lee, Justin Thomas, Francis Kallon, Shamire Devine, Jeremi Hall, Travis Custis, Pat Gamble. Those are just a few.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
3:02 pm
Sorry, but your name alone is a dead giveaway. The incredible hatred you have towards GT made it obvious.
You are truly clueless Bob……..I love GT, Where is my hatred???? show me one example of hatred…..Please!!!!!!!!!
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
3:04 pm
You are truly clueless Bob……..I love GT, Where is my hatred???? show me one example of hatred…..Please!!!!!!!!!
You have no loyalty at all right now. It is pretty obvious that you wish CPJ would die a horrible death and take his players with him. Personally I havent talked to many GT fans with that mindset. A lot are concerned but you are at a whole other level.
Big Crimson 75
November 2nd, 2012
3:08 pm
Lets look at K-State. Bill Snyders first 4 years:
1-10
5-6
7-4
5-6
Man, they should have fired that guy. He was way worse then CPJ.
—–
That’s out of bounds & you know it.
His first stint at K-State doesn’t count.
Those figures are mis-leading.
I said after he replaced Prince!!
Big Crimson 75
November 2nd, 2012
3:10 pm
Paul Johnson will never coach in D-1 again.