Opinions on Paul Johnson

[Pedro Guerrero]

I seem to be in the minority, but I dont think Johnson is the guy. I dont care where in 1-A you coach, you should never,ever lose to a 1-AA, which he did this year vs Delaware. With a head coach, you want a guy who will always win the games he's supposed to win, a loss like that makes me wonder about his motivational abilities.

 

You are not alone on this guy. He is a good coach but he should not be the next coach at NU.

 

 

I can't believe all the people chubbing over this dude he is an outsider that knows NOTHING about NU tradition.

[ToddB10000]

I seem to be in the minority, but I dont think Johnson is the guy. I dont care where in 1-A you coach, you should never,ever lose to a 1-AA, which he did this year vs Delaware. With a head coach, you want a guy who will always win the games he's supposed to win, a loss like that makes me wonder about his motivational abilities.

 

You are not alone on this guy. He is a good coach but he should not be the next coach at NU.

 

 

I can't believe all the people chubbing over this dude he is an outsider that knows NOTHING about NU tradition.

 

Do a little more homework beyond the Win Loss posting in your other thread....And look at my post, right above your post - about what kind of players Paul Johnson has...

 

Another little tidbit of info - during an interview with Johnson's brother, it came out that when Paul Johnson was kid growing up in NC, instead of going fishing with his buddies, he watched college football to, and this is a quote, "study the plays that Clemson and Nebraska" were running....this would have been probably been in the 1970s

 

I think Paul Johnson knows more about Nebraska than anyone on the current coaching staff, and they've been AT Nebraska for 4 years...

[strigori]

It isnt the close games to teams in BCS conferences(even if it is duke) that worry me. It is a loss to Delaware. Yeah, Navy doesnt have stared recruits, but a 1-AA doesnt even have walk ons.

[Husker Runner]

To repeat a poster above, many of you are missing the point here in freaking out about the loss to Delaware.

 

Of the 2400 or so recruits who sign to play Division 1-A football each year, maybe 30 or 40 could even begin to meet the standards to be accepted into the Naval Academy. What does it take to get into the Naval Academy? A very high SAT score, a high GPA, class and community leadership, and a Congressional or Presidential nomination. (Special appointment categories include children of deceased and disabled veterans or of military or civilian personnel who are prisoners of war or missing in action, foreign students, regular U.S. navy and marine corps, U.S. navy and marine corps reserve, honor graduates of military and naval schools and ROTC, and children of Medal of Honor recipients.) Not a large pool from which to draw.

 

Out of those 40 players, how many do you think are willing to commit to serving five years in the Navy after graduation? One? Two? When they graduate, they don't go play in the NFL, they operate nuclear submarines. 99% of your potential Division 1-A football talent either has no interest in going to Navy or wouldn't be accepted anyway.

 

The service academies meet the technical requirements to be Division 1-A (stadium size, attendance, etc.), but they don't recruit from the same pool of football talent as other Division 1-A schools. Not even close. In fact, they are probably fielding talent (speaking solely from a football perspective) more on par with Division 1-AA with some Division II mixed in on the depth chart. Paul Johnson wins a fair share of games against Division 1-A schools with this talent.

[zoogs]

I realize that Navy accomplishes what it does with little. I'm pointing out that there seems to be a disparity in the effectiveness of its offense versus its defense. A pretty big one.

[admo]

All good points. But as for your reasons to not believe. First, Johnson would not just run the option. He runs the offense that best suits his players. At Navy, the triple option is best but he's not afraid to pass the ball either. The winning TD and 2 point conversion against ND were passes, not runs. Second, Navy's defense has been decimated by injuries this year. They have started 20 different guys, plus the defensive side is where I really think Navy is at a great disadvantage. Bigger and stronger offensive lines and bigger, stronger, and faster receivers and backs. If left on the field too long they just get worn down. Thats another reason why he runs the option. To keep the other team off the field. Now I am not a Nebraska fan, I'm a Navy fan, born and raised in Annapolis, and I would love to see Paul Johnson stay, but if he left for Nebraska you would be getting a great coach and one more Nebraska fan.

Welcome to the board. And thank you for taking the time and providing some insight. This is some good stuff to consider.

[Husker Runner]

Navy beat Northern Illinois today to go to 7-4 on the season.

 

Some more facts about Navy football:

 

***There is no redshirting at Navy.

***Because there is no signing day at service academies, the players are "unprotected"...meaning that they can transfer to another Division 1-A school without losing a season of eligibility. Some of Navy's best players end up doing this, like Jeromy Miles, who was an honorable mention freshman All-American safety last year at Navy and is now a starter for UMass.

 

Here is an article with some insight into the defensive problems mentioned by a few posters:

 

Navy head coach Paul Johnson was downright disgusted during the immediate aftermath of Navy’s victory over North Texas on Saturday.

When athletic director Chet Gladchuk sauntered over to shake hands on the field prior to the post-game playing of Blue and Gold, Johnson appeared unwilling to accept congratulations – pointing angrily at the scoreboard and offering a few choice words.

 

Suffice to say, Johnson wasn’t ticked off about Navy’s 74 points or 680 yards of total offense. Rather, Johnson was fed up with another shoddy defensive effort – Navy’s ninth in a row following a respectable performance in the season opener against Temple.

 

Apologists can blame injuries or inexperience, but the truth is that there really is no excuse for a defense being this bad 10 games into a season. At least Johnson is willing to admit that and seems determined to do something about it.

 

Navy gave up 62 points and 635 total yards to a North Texas team that employed a high school offense. Head coach Todd Dodge used his no-huddle, four-wide receiver attack to make the Midshipmen look just as silly as he did Flower

 

Mound Marcus High for many years.

 

Johnson termed Navy’s defensive performance on Saturday – and the entire season, for that matter – “unacceptable.” The sixth-year head coach accepted that he’s “ultimately responsible” for the situation and made it clear he’s going to do something about it.

 

Media attending Navy practice this week noticed that Johnson has spent far more time than usual on the defensive side of the field. He was spotted talking, yelling and instructing individual defenders – correcting fundamental mistakes in technique.

 

For most of six seasons this staff has been in Annapolis, Johnson has given veteran defensive coordinator Buddy Green free rein. Green has been directing defenses for the better part of the past two decades and has always done a respectable job.

 

However, in the wake of this season’s disaster, the head coach can no longer just sit back and do nothing. So all indications are that Johnson has gotten more involved with the defensive game-planning this week and you can bet there have been more than a couple behind-closed-doors discussions with Green and his staff.

 

Navy’s defensive numbers are simply atrocious. The Midshipmen rank 117th out of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring defense, allowing a whopping 40.6 points per game. The Mids are 111th in total defense, giving up an average of 468.8 yards.

 

By far the biggest weakness has been pass defense, not surprising considering the secondary has been hit hardest by injuries. Losing senior free safety and defensive captain Jeff Deliz to a season-ending injury in Game 2 has proven more costly than initially imagined as the unit still has not found a leader.

 

Rover Ketric Buffin and cornerback Rashawn King, the only members of the unit to have started any games in 2006, are currently hobbled with injuries. King will miss his third straight game with a shoulder problem while Buffin remains questionable with a broken arm. Buffin tried to come back last Saturday and actually started, but was ineffective and did not wind up playing much.

 

Navy has started 10 different players in the secondary. There have been five different starters at both free safety and rover. That may explain why the Midshipmen rank dead last in pass efficiency defense and are allowing 286 yards per game through the air, but it certainly doesn’t excuse it.

 

Of course, the youthful defensive backs have not gotten much help from their friends up front. Navy stands 116th in sacks and 112th in tackles for loss, which basically means the front seven is getting zero penetration and doing nothing to disrupt quarterbacks.

 

Green is a stand-up guy and has not ducked his responsibility for the embarrassing display. Every Monday, Green patiently answers a steady stream of questions about the team’s defensive struggles and has never made excuses.

 

‘’We were horrible. It was a poor exhibition on our part, a poor demonstration of defensive football,” Green said.

 

It should be pointed out that Navy did improve in the second half against North Texas. Linebackers Ram Vela and Matt Wimsatt made interceptions while the defense also forced a crucial three-and-out and recorded a safety as the Mean Green was held to 13 points after intermission.

 

Green said there were no notable halftime adjustments or personnel changes and that Navy simply started making plays. The Midshipmen began getting pressure on the quarterback, making tackles in the open field, breaking on the ball and generally executing in a sounder, more fundamental manner.

 

Yet no member of the coaching staff took solace in the fact Navy held North Texas to two touchdowns in the second half after giving up seven in the first. Green readily admitted on Monday that statistics don’t lie and that with 10 games in the book there is no denying that Navy’s defense has stunk.

 

“We just haven’t gotten it done, haven’t made the plays we need to make. Obviously, we’ve been on the receiving end of giving up too many points week after week,” he said. “All I know to do is the same thing I’ve done for many years when you get in a tough situation; you keep fighting to get better. To their credit, these guys have continued to practice hard in order to improve.”

 

Fortunately, the next two games might provide a slight breather for the beleaguered defense as both Northern Illinois and Army have struggled mightily on offense. Of course, Duke and Notre Dame have done nothing on offense before or after lighting up Navy for 43 and 44 points, respectively.

 

However, the Navy defense had better come together and tighten up before the Dec. 20 Poinsettia Bowl. Utah, the likely Mountain West Conference opponent in that contest, is an offensive juggernaut and is coming off a 50-0 shellacking of Wyoming.

 

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/r...07/11_15-51/NAS

[Husker stuck at kstate]

I know Dr. Tom isn't dumb. So, Do you think he is well aware of paul johnson? if not maybe someone should email him and just put "paul johnson. Take a look."

 

I really hope we don't pick turner gill, i mean no matter how good he gets and where he is i think he will always want to come to nebraska. So why get him now, lets just keep him in our pocket and go get him if we need him. And Bo Pelini im not sure, but i also don't know if i want to hire him just to find out.

 

vote paul johnson

[VA Husker Fan]

vote paul johnson

But impeach him if he brings in Buddy Green as his DC.

 

I think Johnson would be a good choice for us. I'm not sure where I'd rank him among Gill, Pelini, Kelly, Muschamp, etc--none of them are returning my calls. But I'd put him in the top 1/2.

[melscott62]

after reading more about him he's at the top of my list.

[SkerMin8r]

I know Dr. Tom isn't dumb. So, Do you think he is well aware of paul johnson? if not maybe someone should email him and just put "paul johnson. Take a look."

 

I really hope we don't pick turner gill, i mean no matter how good he gets and where he is i think he will always want to come to nebraska. So why get him now, lets just keep him in our pocket and go get him if we need him. And Bo Pelini im not sure, but i also don't know if i want to hire him just to find out.

 

vote paul johnson

 

My email sent Halloween night:

 

Dr. Osborne,

 

Sir...I'm sure you are receiving hundreds of emails a day giving you suggestions

for a new head football coach. Well, this email is no different. Please coach,

consider Paul Johnson the current HFC of Navy to be the next head coach here at

Nebraska. That said, I have every confidence in your decision.

 

Thank you for your commitment to our beloved Huskers.

 

and the reply:

Thank you for your letter.

 

As I said when I took this job, there won’t be any changes among the football

coaching staff until after the end of the season — and then maybe not at all.

We’ll see how it’s going.

 

I do appreciate your passion for Nebraska Football, and should a change be

warranted at the end of the season, I will keep your recommendations in mind.

 

Thank you again for writing.

 

Best wishes,

Tom Osborne

[Husker stuck at kstate]

I know Dr. Tom isn't dumb. So, Do you think he is well aware of paul johnson? if not maybe someone should email him and just put "paul johnson. Take a look."

 

I really hope we don't pick turner gill, i mean no matter how good he gets and where he is i think he will always want to come to nebraska. So why get him now, lets just keep him in our pocket and go get him if we need him. And Bo Pelini im not sure, but i also don't know if i want to hire him just to find out.

 

vote paul johnson

 

My email sent Halloween night:

 

Dr. Osborne,

 

Sir...I'm sure you are receiving hundreds of emails a day giving you suggestions

for a new head football coach. Well, this email is no different. Please coach,

consider Paul Johnson the current HFC of Navy to be the next head coach here at

Nebraska. That said, I have every confidence in your decision.

 

Thank you for your commitment to our beloved Huskers.

 

and the reply:

Thank you for your letter.

 

As I said when I took this job, there won’t be any changes among the football

coaching staff until after the end of the season — and then maybe not at all.

We’ll see how it’s going.

 

I do appreciate your passion for Nebraska Football, and should a change be

warranted at the end of the season, I will keep your recommendations in mind.

 

Thank you again for writing.

 

Best wishes,

Tom Osborne

 

 

AHHH sweet. if that is a real reply. Thats all i wanted was his name to be put into osbornes head. thanks

[SkerMin8r]

AHHH sweet. if that is a real reply. Thats all i wanted was his name to be put into osbornes head. thanks

 

It's real.

[gthogan]

I guess the question I have is how good was his defenses at Georgia Southern? Were they decent at least? Yes, you hate to bring in a guy who has a good product on the offensive side, but a poor one the other side of the ball -- Texas Tech for example. (Mike Leash's (sp?) defenses have played a big part in preventing TTU from going to the next level. Although one could argue that TTU throws the ball too much. This could be a good thread in Other Sports.)

 

Boise St would also fall under a team that can score but can't play defense.

 

Navy falls into that category this year as well. Paul Johnson's Navy.

[GaSouthern]

if he's that damn good why's he at the navy?

 

For the same reason TG is at Buffalo. It was his opportunity to "get his foot in the door".

 

 

now follow that up with, "what was Navy like before Johnson and what is it like now?"

 

the answer is for some 30 years Navy was b*tched-up by everyone. not as bad a Temple, but they seldom hit the .500 marker many years.

 

while johnson has been at Navy, they've had four winning season out of five. and right now they're shaping up to have winning season this year too.

 

when you keep that in mind and take into consideration that

he's also won two D-II titles,

i'd easily give the huskers over to johnson *way* before i'd trust them to pelini.

 

at least johnson has a record as a head coach.

 

 

hell if gill can get buffalo to a 5 win season that speaks volumes(hello 7 wins in 2 years at a school that won 10 games the previous...6 years?)

 

just in case you missed that the first time around.

 

johnson has earned his spurs as an HC. turner is just starting out.

 

 

I have said it before and I will say it again: If you had 100 Athletic directors together and they could choose between Johnson and Gill at least 95 would pick Johnson and most would not take 1/10 of a second to have to think about it. Between Johnson and Pelini, that one I am not as certain but I'd guess 90 go for Johnson.

 

There is no comparison here.

 

What are you guys talking about, when did PJ win two national championships in D-II!?!?!?!?

 

He did win 2 National Championships in D-IAA now called DIVISION I Football Championship Subdivision at Georgia Southern after three trips to the national championship game, he brought home 2 trophies.

 

From all I know he has never been the coach of a D-II school like valdosta state.