Radakovich says Johnson is ‘right person for this job’
After 2-4 start, Tech coach Paul Johnson fired his second defensive coordinator. (AJC/Curtis Compton)
In his first two seasons at Georgia Tech, Paul Johnson went 20-7, including 12-4 in the ACC, and won a conference title (the whims of NCAA investigators notwithstanding).
In the 2½ years since, he is 16-16, including 10-10 in the ACC, and has lost nine of his past 13. He also just fired his second defensive coordinator, hoping to salvage a season that has some fans grumbling and wondering if those early results were some aberration.
Yet to be determined: Is this merely a step back before another eventual ACC title run (most optimistic) or ugly foreshadowing of a Bill Lewis collapse (most pessimistic).
Welcome to today’s sports world, which can be best summed up as: What a beautiful morning/Wait I felt A Raindrop/The Sky Is Falling! (Elapsed time: 12 minutes.)
For what it’s worth, the sky isn’t falling in Dan Radakovich’s office. The Georgia Tech athletic director affirmed Tuesday that he has not lost confidence in Johnson as the school’s football coach, nor has he given any thought to making a change in that office.
“I know there’s some erosion in support right now, but the Falcons are 5-0, and there was erosion in their fan base last year, too, when they didn’t win in the playoffs,” Radakovich said. “That’s the thing about sports now. People can express their opinion quickly.
Dan Radakovich said Johnson's resume makes him worthy of being given the benefit of the doubt. (AJC photo)
“I have confidence in Paul. He’s the right person for this job, and he will continue to move the program forward. We have to get through this bump in the road. We still have six games left for a chance to have a positive season.”
In at least one respect, being a football coach isn’t different from any other job: When somebody’s tenure begins with signs of very-good-to-greatness, the boss is more likely to give that employee the benefit of the doubt.
Johnson has earned that benefit.
What he accomplished in his first two seasons, including Tech playing in its first BCS bowl game and a first-season win at Georgia, went far beyond what anybody could have projected.
Critics suggest he has made consecutive defensive coordinators, Dave Wommack and Al Groh, scapegoats for his own failings. But apply some logic here: Wommack was fired after the 2009 ACC title season (hence: not a scapegoat). Groh was fired after a three-game losing streak that saw the Jackets score 36, 28 and 31 points but allow 42, 49 and 47. There were late-game defensive collapses both this year and late last season.
Is this really the time to pin Tech’s problems on the triple-option offense?
For as much as Johnson’s offense tends to be a lightning rod for criticism in these just-chuck-it days of football, the Jackets have scored fewer than 14 points in seven of 59 games under Johnson and fewer than 20 in 14 of 59. Overall, they have scored an average of 30.5 points.
Is Johnson ultimately responsible for whether his team wins or loses? Of course. But Radakovich doesn’t see any of the other signs an athletic director looks for when contemplating a coaching change, most notably a lack of effort or hopelessness. “It’s not like we’re getting blown out,” he said. “It’s not like we’re being physically overmatched every week.”
He said he understands the criticism. He expected it. He fields questions at booster functions and reads weekly critiques in his email’s inbox. He just doesn’t agree with them.
“Paul has demonstrated to me that he can coach and he can pull a team together,” Radakovich said. “And it’s important to note that it’s not just here. His entire career [including Georgia Southern and Navy] to me has been as big a positive as anything. He has shown that he’s able to sustain success in an organization over a long period of time.”
Radakovich and Johnson speak daily. The AD was a sounding board for him when Johnson was considering firing Groh.
Radakovich: “It was not an easy decision for Paul, and I look at my role as being someone who can give him a 360-degree view of things. But he’s the head football coach, and I want to give him the opportunity to have the staff that he sees fit.”
If the losses continue, it’s logical to assume that Johnson ultimately would pay a price. But Tech isn’t nearly at that point yet.
By Jeff Schultz
•
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• Short takes: Gonzalez, Bryant and missing RG3 in Falcons’ win
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• Chipper Jones on loss in his finale: ‘Ultimately, I’m to blame’
• Braves are hoping to change postseason script
• Weekend Predictions: Dogs over Darth Rooster, Falcons over Skins
• Spurrier should take lesson from Richt on handling criticism
• Video: It’s Winnersville! We talk Braves, Falcons, UGA
• Medlen becomes an unlikely key to Braves’ postseason
• Georgia has uncomfortable mix of highlights, slapstick
• Chipper Jones: Braves lose a legend, fans lose a hero, I lose reason to open laptop
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317 comments Add your comment
Herchel
October 9th, 2012
1:37 pm
Johnson’s offense is a problem, no matter how much they score. The defense practices against it every day. They can’t recruit pro style QBs, so they have no one who can throw fades, or back shoulder go routes in practice.
MC
October 9th, 2012
1:38 pm
Imagine if GT had hired someone like lets say Kevin Sumlin when they hired PJ. Does anybody in their right mind think this antiquated offense beats Ralph Freidgens? The Ross, O’Leary, Gailey teams had a product you could sell to recruits. The recruits buying this offense would never see the field under the former 3 coaches.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:39 pm
Groh got scapegoated; the real problem is Tevin Washington.
13-13 in the last 2.5 years? Guess who’s been QB for the last 2.5 years…
If CPJ had ANY nuts, he’d actually shoulder some blame himself by admitting to the mistake of playing TW and benching him.
I’d rather see us go 2-4 in the 2nd half of the season with Vad than 3-3 with Tevin. And 3-3 is generous.
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
1:39 pm
@ Mike S.
Man this has been gone over a number of times.
Gailey had one good recruiting year and that was ranked about 18th.
Even with that, a fellow blogger averaged Gailey’s recruting class ranks against Johnson’s.
Johnson won.
This defense is better than it has showed.
I would not want to be Boston College.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:41 pm
MC: 1st of all, what happened to Ross and O’Leary? They LEFT. For better jobs. Any successful coach with a pro style offense at GT will LEAVE. For a team that can get better talent.
CPJ, on the other hand, won’t leave because GT gets the best talent he will ever get for his offense.
Mike S.
October 9th, 2012
1:42 pm
@Jacket Detective – that’s because Gailey had to build the recruiting up. His first several classes weren’t very good. Fact is, the class he had coming in when he got fired was projected top 20 as well. That would have been back to back top 20 classes. He had recruits looking at Ga Tech, and now they arent. Johnson hasnt come near a top 20 recruiting class. The results back that up.
fuzzyjacket
October 9th, 2012
1:45 pm
How can losing to Middle Tennessee by 3 touchdowns at home not be considered a blowout? PJ has got to go. PJ may continue to have winning seasons but that may be due to a lack of talent at other schools in the ACC. VL needs to come in and get experience for next year.
GTBob
October 9th, 2012
1:45 pm
Johnson still has yet to beat a solid team that had more than a week to prepare for him.
Was the 2008 UGA team not a solid team?
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:45 pm
Mike: back to back top 20 classes in Gailey’s 7th and (what would be) 8th season? Give CPJ til his 7th and 8th season and then let’s talk.
Mike S.
October 9th, 2012
1:46 pm
@GT Joe – so what are you saying? We should fold our hands and accept mediocrity which is exactly what the program has devolved to? This isnt a very good ACC here either, yet Tech keeps losing to teams that get blasted by everyone else. The offense has lost its big play ability and cant sustain drives, and the defense has never been good enough under Johnson to make up for that.
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
1:46 pm
@GT Joe.
I made the mistake u keep making when I was younger.
I wanted the 2nd string QB to play.
I finally got my wish.
He was lousy and coach Curry and his assistanst were right.
Vad is not lousy and is our future but the coaches watch them every day.
Vad would be playing if he was ready.
Playing a promising QB before he is ready can be a mistake and shake his confidence.
Happens a lot in the pros.
Johnson has to worry about losing his fanbase too.
I guess u failed to notice the 2008 team scored 24 a game while this year’s team has averaged 38.
Mike S.
October 9th, 2012
1:47 pm
Gailey also inherited a program under sanctions. Your never going to fire a coach that has to rebuild a program under those circumstances.
Buzzzed
October 9th, 2012
1:48 pm
In CPJ I trust.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:48 pm
Mike: program has “devolved into mediocrity”? LOL, no we’ve been mediocre since 1960. Barely above .500 since then. Wake up.
I love Tech, but face facts. We aren’t a national powerhouse by any means. Going to a BCS bowl game once a decade, and maybe a national title every 25 years is really all we can expect.
ibidGT
October 9th, 2012
1:50 pm
‘I guess u failed to notice the 2008 team scored 24 a game while this year’s team has averaged 38.’
What about PPG allowed this year as compared to 2008? I don’t know the exact numbers but we both know they are way higher this year.
How come CPJ doesn’t get any credit for those numbers? The defense is his just as much as the offense. How come no one gives his credit for the defense?
MC
October 9th, 2012
1:50 pm
And GT Joe what is good for PJ will suck for GT. The way Johnson recruits GT’s best years are behind them. He can’t even recruit ACC caliber players. I bet Duke won’t trade you Cuttcliff for PJ.
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
1:51 pm
@Mike S.
It doesn’t take that long to turn recruiting around even at Tech.
Often the new coach has his best year recruiting in his first year.
If u lose the arch rival 5 years in a row, u get fired.
At uga the number is 3 in a row.
Nesbitt would not have played for Gailey because he was a better runner than passer.
Nesbitt thrived in the TO but would have rode the bench with Gailey.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:52 pm
Jacket Detective: I made the same mistake u keep making when I was younger. I wanted Drew Bledsoe to start instead of Tom Brady. I figured “Belichick sees Brady in practice every day. If he was ready, he would start.”
Then I realized that coaches make mistakes sometimes.
MC
October 9th, 2012
1:53 pm
And another poster made the point that it is PJ’s defense. He’s right. Ask Mark Richt, an offensive coach, how hot the seat can get because of HIS defense.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:53 pm
Meanwhile, 3 super bowls later..
Mike S.
October 9th, 2012
1:54 pm
@GT Joe – you wake up. No one is asking for national titles, but at least we got to see players like Calvin Johnson and Tashard Choice under Gailey. Tenuta’s D was fun to watch as well, not the matador style we have played under Johnson. Gailey played in a tougher ACC and against better UGA teams as well. UGA cant beat anyone good in the SEC, but they can sure beat Johnson. This ACC is as bad as its ever been, and Johnson is lucky to come out with 7 win seasons. Can you look at one game left on the schedule and call it a win?
ibidGT
October 9th, 2012
1:54 pm
Gailey might not have had Nesbitt on the bench actually. He picked up Nesbitt for the Bill’s practice squad. As a defense back, not a QB. Although that obviously doesn’t mean much as we will never know.
just me
October 9th, 2012
1:54 pm
“Continue to move the program forward”? Are you kidding me? The program is not moving forward, it is moving backward. Another DRAD quote…”it’s not like we’re getting blown out”. What do you call the MTSU debacle? What do you call the Clemson game? What do you call giving up 600 yards a game? Have you seen your players absolutely quit like they did against MTSU? Obviously the decline of the GT program is due to both Johnson and Radokovich.
Island Jacket
October 9th, 2012
1:55 pm
I agree with Dan. CPJ is the right man for the job. The offense is moving forward. The Defense just haven’t caught up to the offense. Johnson is a keeper. Now lets get a real good DC.
Go Jackets….
Gordon
October 9th, 2012
1:56 pm
I agree with what Radakovich said, and don’t think it is anywhere near time to consider making a change. That would be at the end of next year at the earliest. But I think it needs to be said that even if Radakovich did think it was time, he wouldn’t do it because he can’t afford to. Johnson makes over $2.5M and is signed through 2016. Tech just can’t afford that, especially since they are paying Hewitt $1.4M not to coach until March 2016.
If you really want to know what Radakovich thinks about Johnson, watch and see if he extends his contract after each year.
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
1:56 pm
@MC.
You probably were not around for Curry.
His lost to Duke, seriously Duke, 4 years in a row before finally beating them in his fifth try.
Anyone else would have been fired.
After we had tolerated his poor learning curve and he finally started to build the program, he up and dumped us for Bama.
Johnson will get at least two more years.
We are going to beat BC.
The defense is going to start playing a lot better.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:57 pm
Hey Mike: yeah CJ and Tashard were great. And don’t forget Chan’s best, most favorite player Reggie Ball!
I guess you will just never accept the fact that Johnson outrecruited Gailey (look at the average rankings), and you will never accept the fact that Gailey never won more than 7 games. Ever.
GTBob
October 9th, 2012
1:57 pm
No one is asking for national titles, but at least we got to see players like Calvin Johnson and Tashard Choice under Gailey.
Yeah, we got to watch them go 7-5 every year because the players around them were all 2 star players. Was that really that much better then what we have now? You really want to go back and relive the Gailey days?
Mike S.
October 9th, 2012
1:57 pm
Oleary also proved you can win at Tech. If a coach leaves, line another up. That’s how it goes. Tech is hardly the only program that has to sit back and hope their coach doesnt leave for a brand name job. A lot of programs deal with that and keep on rolling. Tech? Lets just throw our hands up and make excuses to keep Johnson and a philosophy that is getting worse and worse every year.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
1:59 pm
Uh Mike, just what exactly do you NOT like about scoring 30+ points a game?
MC
October 9th, 2012
1:59 pm
Nesbitt was a warrior. I feel bad for him. After PJ arrived his NFL aspirations were done. Wonder if he ever thinks about playing safety at UGA and where he might be today? Probably more than a practice squad strap hanger trying to learn new positions at this point.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
2:01 pm
Yeah MC. If only Chan would have stayed, Nesbitt would have enjoyed 7 win season and never sniffed the Orange Bowl. And oh yeah, he’d be the next RG3 right now.
He came to Tech because he wanted to play QB. Not Safety.
Rick James
October 9th, 2012
2:01 pm
@JustinSyder
@Paul: I bet USC fans hope Richt stays as well.
——————————————————————
What about Tech fans? Actually Spurrier is 4-4 against Richt at Carolina.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
2:02 pm
Rick: PLEASE keep Richt. Any other coach with UGA’s talent would be winning NCs.
Sincerely,
A Tech Fan
MC
October 9th, 2012
2:03 pm
Where might Jonathon Dwyer have been drafted had he played tail in a pro style offense. Tashard Choice had less talent than Dwyer but a more stable NFL carreer. You think today’s recruits don’t know all that history?
Michael Veli a.k.a. Jim Donnan's financial advisor!
October 9th, 2012
2:03 pm
WnE for Defense coordinator!
Buddy Landell
October 9th, 2012
2:05 pm
MC- CMR would’ve made him a TE
JoeFan
October 9th, 2012
2:05 pm
CPJ will be in the head coaching chair at least until the end of the 2013 season. We all might as well sit back and relax because unless he losses the players there will be no coaching change before then. His buyout is just to steep at this point. Lets hope he gets a decent defense to go with the offense and the right quarterback to take the offense up a level, whether it be Vad Lee, Justin Thomas or someone else.
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
2:05 pm
If Brady had started the season, he might have been the one injured instead of Bledsoe.
The injury made the decision simple.
The QB decision is best left to the coaches.
Groh has wrecked this team, not Tevin.
Groh’s getting outcoached every 4th quarter has been a cancer on the team.
Don’t say Tevin is the cancer.
With a average D, we have victories instead of defeats.
Nesbitt occasionally needed help as I have pointed out in the 2009 Wake game where Derrick Morgan saved the season with a sack
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
2:06 pm
Tech will crush BC with a revived defense.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
2:07 pm
MC: Dwyer would have been a 2nd rounder (according to ALL the draft projections) until he tested positive for some sort of ADHD medicine. Regardless, he’s at Pittsburgh and can’t win the job. He’s exactly where he would have been without CPJ.
Tashard maybe had less talent, but more drive and better work ethic in the NFL. Both are 3rd stringers anyways, whats your point.
GTBob
October 9th, 2012
2:07 pm
Oleary also proved you can win at Tech.
O’Leary had one double digit win season and two other seasons of 8 or 9 wins. That is hardly a big winner. He was also working under much more relaxed admissions policies then Chan or CPJ have had to.
jfreak13713
October 9th, 2012
2:08 pm
Its easy to score a lot of points on Duke and Wake Forset but Tech has NOT proven it can score enough points against Georgia, Virgina Tech, and any other school they play that has more than 1 week to plan for them. I’m sorry but this offense has had plenty of time to work / win but it has a ceiling and I believe they have reached it! Sure they look good the first couple of years but they had better talent recruited by prior coaching staff running a very different offense. Furthermore, the top schools are just faster and bigger than Tech so wining against good teams has goot much harder with less talent.
This does not end well I’m afraid. Unless of course Tech is okay with wining 7 or 8 games a year? If they are then I’ll take my time and money elsewhere.
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
2:09 pm
@MC.
Dwyer fell to the 5th round due to a slow 40 yard time at the combine and rumors of attention deficit drug use while young.
Not sure about the rumors but am about the slower time.
It wasn’t the offense.
Why would Derrick Morgan have gone in the 1st round if it was the offense?
GTBob
October 9th, 2012
2:10 pm
Where might Jonathon Dwyer have been drafted had he played tail in a pro style offense.
Dwyer was a projected late 1st round/early 2nd round pick until he decided to show up to all of his workouts over weight and out of shape. He has himself to blame for ruining his draft status.
dawgfan
October 9th, 2012
2:11 pm
Of course Johnson is the right person for the job. He’s arrogrant, insecure and convinced of his superiority over all others despite very little, if anything, to back it up. He doesn’t take criticism well. He talks tough in the media but his teams play like a powder puff team. Are you kidding me? This guy is PERFECT for Georgia Tech football. He’s a walking emodiment of everything that it stands for.
Thanks.
GT Joe
October 9th, 2012
2:11 pm
Jacket Detective: here’s what you are failing to see: Brady WAS ready for the job. Belichick thought Bledsoe was better. Brady got into the game because of injury and PROVED he was ready by winning the friggin super bowl.
So was the coach right or wrong on Brady?
Just because Vad isn’t playing doesn’t mean he “isn’t ready”. All it means is, CPJ doesn’t think he is ready. And CPJ could be wrong.
This whole thing about ruining a kid for life by starting him too early is comical. Did Tevin’s career get derailed because he was thrown into the game at VT in 2010 and threw the pick to end the game? Oh wait, nevermind.
GStateBen
October 9th, 2012
2:11 pm
Jeff,
Out of those 16 wins, only 11 are vs. BCS schools. Tech fans should win 6-7 FBS games per year and going to a bowl (who is still in very much doubt in 2012).
Buyout Info for Paul Johnson per Eric Thompson of Rivals.com:
Post 2012 season – $10.2 million
Post 2013 season – $7.7 million
Post 2014 season – $5.2 million
Post 2015 season – $2.4 million
Jacket Detective
October 9th, 2012
2:12 pm
Tech gets to the top about every ten years but doesn’t stay there.
Our rep may be as a coach killer.
Ross and Curry were fast to leave when more money came calling.
Rick James
October 9th, 2012
2:12 pm
@GTBob
Yeah, we got to watch them go 7-5 every year because the players around them were all 2 star players. Was that really that much better then what we have now? You really want to go back and relive the Gailey days?
——————————————————————————————————————————
Bob I think Tech fans would like to see Johnson sign caliber of players that Gailey did.There is no denying the fact that his teams have gotten worse as Gailey recruits have left. The last he beat Georgia it was with Gailey’s players..He does not recruit as well as Gailey but you keeep denying it.Is there one starter on the current team who could start at Georga? Its not a knock on the team just CPJ..How many tackles did AL Groh miss against Middle Tennesee?