5 reasons Paul Johnson isn’t going to Notre Dame
1. He’s a little too much like Charlie Weis. Meaning: He’s blunt, and he can’t be coached in the gentle art of public relations. That works in Atlanta, where there’s one daily newspaper, but might not in South Bend, where the college team is covered by the Chicago papers in addition to the South Bend folks. Notre Dame is going to want a charmer this time around, someone who can schmooze with Regis about the big game. PJ has never heard of Reege, let alone Kelly.
2. Notre Dame isn’t just a program; it’s a TV show. Meaning: Appearances matter. NBC might not be thrilled about the prospects of airing a team that runs the football 83 percent of the time. (Understand: I admire Johnson’s offense. But I’m not a network programmer.)
3. Notre Dame cares about recruiting rankings. Johnson famously does not. The subway alumni wouldn’t like it if their adopted team didn’t show up in Rivals’ top 10. (Understand: I’m with Johnson on this one, too. Recruiting rankings are overblown — ask Mark Richt — but I don’t contribute to anyone’s program.)
4. He’s happy at Georgia Tech. In two years Johnson has become not just a hero but something approaching a legend. If the final fourth-down gamble against Wake Forest had failed, he wouldn’t have been second-guessed one bit. Because Tech people love PJ, and Dan Radakovich is about to put yet another bumped-up dollar figure on that love. And Johnson doesn’t want to live in South Bend. He’s a Southern guy who has a nice spread in Vinings — “Inside the Perimeter,” he always takes pains to say — and doesn’t even have to take an Interstate to work.
5. Notre Dame once hired a coach from Tech. The perfect union, right? A feisty Irishman coaching the Fighting Irish. It lasted 3 1/2 days. Even Cher and Gregg Allman made it past a week.
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
577 comments Add your comment
willie martinez
November 18th, 2009
1:02 pm
uga tech over under is 89.67 bet the over.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:04 pm
dcjacket – Get “a” thru “e” printed up on nice cards, and sell them on eBay. It always shakes people up when you pull out a card with their words already written down. They usually turn and run.
PJ for ND
November 18th, 2009
1:05 pm
Why would PJ leave Ga. Tech for ND? There are probably 5 million reasons plus a National TV contract and stature. Ga. Tech cannot compete with that. Sure Ga. Tech will have their good years now and then, but PJ could turn ND back to a national power and keep it that way.
cantondawg
November 18th, 2009
1:06 pm
thanks for the nomination Willie…now get your ass back to practice…
No BCS for Dawgs........again
November 18th, 2009
1:09 pm
Wow TimTBlow is angry, it’s been a rough 20 years for you hasn’t it?
Dawg1
November 18th, 2009
1:11 pm
For the comment about HW signing his name with an X while at UGA, he must have been smart enough to invest his money and be worth $50M now. Maybe Tech should give Nesbitt some public speaking lessons. God can ANYONE understand a word he says?
DamnGoodDawg!
November 18th, 2009
1:11 pm
One reason Johnson will jump ship the first time a favorable job at a top NCAA Division I school presents itself: He’s at Georgia Tech, a stopoff for upwardly mobile coaches and a home for the Chan Gaileys of coaching.
Dawg1
November 18th, 2009
1:13 pm
No BCS for Dawgs…..Let Tech get to a BCS game first, then talk about UGA not getting to one THIS year. At least they have seen the BIG BCS paychecks three times, and a Capital One Bowl that is the highest outside the BCS. What has Ga. Tech been getting for all those bowl games in Boise? HA!
No BCS for Dawgs........again
November 18th, 2009
1:15 pm
I’m a Gator Fan Dawg1, you know your friends from the SEC East.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:15 pm
“Hut…hut!” Seems to be enough. The A backs bring the plays in from the coach.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:18 pm
“Georgia Tech, a stopoff for upwardly mobile coaches and a home for the Chan Gaileys of coaching”
As opposed to the Ray Goffs and Jim Donnans of coaching. Mark Richt may be thinking sidewardly mobile, with all of the bile being spewed at him by his so-called “fan base”.
Tom
November 18th, 2009
1:20 pm
Ezekiel, that site is lame and the guy who runs it needs to nibble a muzzle.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:23 pm
Headline today on SI.com today:
“Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly talks about Notre Dame”
He’s Irish-Catholic, too.
The Truth
November 18th, 2009
1:25 pm
ugay fans: “ANOTHER Cinderella season”
…nuff said.
Wyatt Earp
November 18th, 2009
1:27 pm
…Ah, yet we have circled the sun again and I’m headed to BDS on 11/28…AND HELL’S COMING WITH ME!
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:30 pm
“Mike” “NO ONE making plays on this team has been recruited by Johnson”
You obviously haven’t looked at the roster or the stats.
willie martinez
November 18th, 2009
1:32 pm
del, its kind of ironic. none of the guys i recruited are making plays either.
UKnowY
November 18th, 2009
1:34 pm
wonder how much ole pj’s stock will drop once a willie martinez defense beats him?
willie martinez
November 18th, 2009
1:37 pm
uno, like the proverbial rock.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:37 pm
willie – Hang in there. Don’t Fear the Reaper.
George P
November 18th, 2009
1:41 pm
I think the article is missing the point. It outlines why Notre Dame shouldn’t go with CPJ more than the reverse. They’d be fools not to seriously consider him and most likely will make an offer. The more important points are the ones that outline why he’s less likely to leave.
HBTD
November 18th, 2009
1:41 pm
Pee Jay will never leave “nerdville” voluntarily. With a built in 10 game winning season and the possibility of playing in the Orange Bowl by virtue of playing in the weakest BCS conference in the land, why would he leave?? He wouldn’t. You guys are stuck with Pee Jay and his tricked up plays for a long time.
Coach Paul "Gobbler" Johnson
November 18th, 2009
1:42 pm
I’m definitely leaving Georgia Tech. I need to go to a more renowned program with a stronger supporting fanbase than these knuckleheads in Atlanta. These bandwagoners are the worst yet. If I have one bad season, they are going to jump ship quicker than a Marta crackhead offered a hit of the pipe. Plus, I need a larger crowd in the stadium for my famous “Gobbler Shuffle”
romyoh
November 18th, 2009
1:44 pm
Hey Notre Dame, don’t touch our Johnson!
59bulldawg
November 18th, 2009
1:44 pm
Johnson is an excellent coach who’s made the Ga/Ga Tech game a rivalry again. He could also make Tech into a national power again. I’d rather play a tough Tech team every year than a pushover. I hope he stays. CMR will just have to man up!
Tom
November 18th, 2009
1:45 pm
Mark, Chan Gailey, really? As in, fired by Georgia Tech Chan Gailey? As in, fired by Georgia Tech but now watching the players he couldn’t win with get into the BCS mix under another coach Chan Gailey? As in, fired from his NFL job before the season Chan Gailey? As in fired by Dallas Chan Gailey?
Do you mean possibly as a coordinator?
Let’s not forget, some people were scratching their heads at the Weis hire at first…before getting all caught up in the hoopla that led the ND admin to lose their heads and give Weis a 10-year contract…
Gailey? Not a chance.
HBTD
November 18th, 2009
1:46 pm
NoBCSforDawgs.
I know. 2 years in a row. Hard to believe! Such are the expectations of a powerhouse football program such as UGAs.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:50 pm
George P – They probably have a range, with Johnson on the “bargain” end of the ones that have mentioned by Notre Dame sources…Ferentz, Kelly, and up the scale to Stoops. After the bad hires of Bob Davies, Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis, I’m thinking they want a proven winner over a significant term. That makes me believe Stoops is the guy, since the “sources” consider a “stupendous” contact to be “loose change.” (Quotes are from si.com).
Spencer
November 18th, 2009
1:51 pm
Murfdawg… which GT coaches were winning their first couple of games against UGA again?
Chan Gailey? LOL
O’Leary? Nope…. he did win 3 in a row later on though
Bill Lewis? LMAO
Bobby Ross? Nope
But save for coach Lewis and Gailey, GT has actually done pretty well against UGA. 4-1 in the last 5 agaist UGA in which Gailey was not the coach.
Not Disappointed
November 18th, 2009
1:51 pm
Last Wednesday at the CPJ calling Radio Show he addressed this question. He was clear that he will Coach at Georgia Tech a long time. My wife and I watch CPJ address the question at Fox Sport Grill last Wednesday night. We all laughed when CPJ suggested Norte Dame go after Cincy’s Coach.
What’s the big deal about CPJ leaving anyway? Georgia has a good coach for 8 years. Fans should be happy that both schools can rep. the state of Georgia for years to come.
Ramblin Wreck!
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:51 pm
canton dawg – Time to update your list…
HBTD
November 18th, 2009
1:52 pm
Delbert. Brian Kelly is their man.
What do they put in the water at GA Tech?
November 18th, 2009
1:53 pm
Bradley – are you serious? Of all 5 reasons, perhaps the most compelling is that he is comfortable here at home in the South. But NBC wanting a coach who passes? Charlie Weis is too blunt and ND wants someone who can schmooze with Regis? O’Leary was a liar so they won’t want to take a chance on CPJ? These are seriously your reasons for why he stays? I can’t imagine that any of these so called reasons would ever play into his or ND’s decision.
Here’s one: Notre Dame will pay him $3 mil per year…minimum. If someone doubled your salary, a 7 figure one at that, wouldn’t you move to Indiana too?
Bradley, I hope tomorrow’s topic is 5 reasons why he goes and you actually put together a list of legitimate reasons (sans Regis and Cher for crying out loud) why he would consider leaving. Today’s was just plain silly.
And to you Tech fans that think ND is washed up – that you can’t recruit in the Midwest – keep telling yourself that. It’s Notre frickin’ Dame you morons.
Vick #7
November 18th, 2009
1:55 pm
Reason PJ leaves is money and ND is a far better school both on and off the field.
Baba O'Riley
November 18th, 2009
1:55 pm
Spencer- don’t wast your time with murfdawg. You’d have better luck talking to a goldfish. HBTD- No…those are expectations of getting top recruiting classes year in and year out.
HBTD
November 18th, 2009
1:55 pm
Spencer. You sound like a politician desperately seeking to put a positive spin on tech’s inability to play with the big dawg. Not even the great majician, Pee Jay, can solve that problem. Face it, tech is simply an inferior program that wants to be like UGA, but never will.
Technophobia
November 18th, 2009
1:56 pm
Johnson has the dawg fans terrified!!! lol.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
1:59 pm
HBTD – Kelly *is* the first one to unanonymize, if that’s a word.
Technophobia
November 18th, 2009
2:01 pm
But no where near as terrified as I was playing Dungeons & Dragons last night. It was late at night and dark! I thought there was something coming to get me!!!
HBTD
November 18th, 2009
2:03 pm
Delbert.
“unanonymize”
Of course I am a die hard dawg fan, but I’m not familiar with that one. This isn’t a course they teach over at tech is it??
Technophobia
November 18th, 2009
2:04 pm
But not as terrified as I was playing dungeons & dragons. I was so scared it was dark out and late at night!
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
2:04 pm
water at GaTech – $3 million is not double what Johnson makes. He makes just under Bowden at the top of the ACC. Nowhere near top SEC money, though.
Technophobia
November 18th, 2009
2:05 pm
But not as terrified as I was playing dungeons & dragons last night! it was dark out and i was so scared! i thought something was coming to get me. i need to get my mom to replace my nightlight.
Trembling Chihuahua
November 18th, 2009
2:06 pm
Gaytor Forever – I baited and you bit. I win.
HBTD
November 18th, 2009
2:07 pm
O’riley. Guessed those recruiting classes panned out pretty good over the last 8 years didn’t they??? 3 BCS games, 2 SEC titles and of course owing our in-state rivalry.
What do they put in the water at GA Tech?
November 18th, 2009
2:07 pm
ok Delbert, what is he paid then? And quick, you’re a Techie, if it isn’t double, then what multiple is it?
Spencer
November 18th, 2009
2:07 pm
HBTD
No doubt about that. At least not for the forseeable future. UGA is a bigger school with a bigger fanbase and a bigger budget. Georgia Tech is not an institution that takes it’s athletics as seriously as UGA does(although the current AD has changed that for the moment). But as long as GT can hold on to quality coaches like O’Leary and CPJ, of course they are capable of competing with UGA. UGA isn’t all that they would like to think they are either.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
2:08 pm
HBTD – “anonymizer” is a software program (commercial) that makes IP addresses anonymous. That was a short way to convey that Kelly is the first one of the si.com “source” candidates to say something public about the Notre Dame job.
Spencer
November 18th, 2009
2:09 pm
What do they put in the water at GA Tech –
$3 mil a year won’t even come close to doubling PJ’s salary. GT is currently trying hard to keep him. He is being paid over $2 mil a year and another raise is in the works. I’m not sure if GT can continue to afford it, but he’s set to be the highest paid coach in the ACC. Can’t complain too much about that.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
2:10 pm
water – A little less than 1.5 times what he makes at Tech.