Opinions on Paul Johnson

HANC

HANC

New member
PErsonally, I agree with Mike'l Severe (1620 the zone)....... I would love to see Paul Johnson as the next HC at NU

My reasons to believe:

1. Triple option is completely deadly at any level.....many of the play-offs teams (HS) in Iowa still run a

the double wing set, which is essentially triple option football.....deception and guessing.... His offensive

numbers are amazing with guys who don't get recruited.... What if he had top notch athletes, not top-

notch military students with perfect ACT scores.....

2. There is no way an opponent can design a defensive scheme to completely shut down this offense with

only 1 week to prepare.....virtually impossible....especially if your QB can throw the ball a little..

3. TO understands the history of NU football and how the option was the basis of the entire success of the

offense..

4. TO also understands that the only team that he couldn't consistently beat was Switzer at OU.... who

ran the triple option

- Johnson has taken the Switzer/Osborne option and taken it into the next century....... Yes, you will still lose

games....not saying it is not going to get shut down on occassion....

Reasons to not believe:

1. I am not a guy who is trying to live in the past..... I was actually excited with the West Coast Offense.

I love the crossing routes and the short passing games, when it is clicking..

2. Johnson would have to bring in a very good defensive coordinator, because his Navy teams have givin'

up a ton of points...

 
I havent really followed PJ much. I caught the ending of the Navy/ND game on satellite, and his press conference while traveling. All I can add is that he speaks from the heart and really has a feel for the game and what's going on. And intersting enough, not one time did he answer any reporter with "... in that regard... in terms of... in that aspect... the kids.... "

I guess that part doesnt matter. Just so done with Cally it's getting to me.

 
I love the running game, I yearn to watch the Huskers slam it down the throats of opponents again.

Now I haven't followed PJ's career at all. I have heard and read he runs the flexbone and the bothers me a little.

I played center at the Univ of SD, we ran the Wing-T under Creehan. It's a great offense and the flexbone is basically just a revised version of it, incorporating the double wing.

When it works it works great, the misdirection and companion plays off the criss cross and sweeps are dangerous.

The key to stopping the Wing-T is penetration and crashing the C gap by the DE, all things that D-1 teams are extremely capable of doing in that formation. You have D Ends damn near as fast as the IB's and with such a tight formation putting 8 or 9 in the box is easily attained.

The best thing about the single or double wing formations are the blocking angles for the OL, it can be a real mismatch.

 
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the one thing i notcied for the pitt vs navy game, was that they lit pitt up on tight end passes. they always creeped up to stop the qb or the pitch man and so at the last second you get this hanger pass for the tight end for a 25 yard gain or a touchdown.

 
I think everyone is to caught up on the offense he is running at Navy. He has crap for athletes to work there and the simple, misdirection offense he is running fits the unathletic players there well. He knows offense and how to fit the offense to his players. He was the OC at Hawaii and read a spread option. He seems to have the ability to fit an offense to his players, so who knows what offense he would choose to run at Nebraska. I really like him more so than Bo. Nothing wrong with Bo, but PJ is a proven winner. Look at his record at navy, not to mention the 4 national titles at Georgia Southern ( 2 head coach, 2 assistant). I don't think we could go wrong with him. Hell anything's better than what we have now.

 
madro said:
if he's that damn good why's he at the navy?
Click to expand...

Going out on a limb here...but I guess for the same reasons Meyer was at Utah, Tressell in DII, Schiano at Rutgers, etc. Probably a better question is how do "bad coaches" end up at big time schools. People make selecting coaches out to be an over simplified process.

 
madro said:
if he's that damn good why's he at the navy?
Click to expand...
For the same reason TG is at Buffalo. It was his opportunity to "get his foot in the door".

HANC - I think you've missed the boat here. AS kshusker85 mentioned, PJ runs an offense that FITS his players. He knows how to win with what he's got. IMO...this is exactly how TO did it in the day.

The one primary concern I have is that it's our DEFENSE that's the problem. If we get PJ...and I'd personally like to see that. He HAS to find a good DC...

 
TheRockSays said:
madro said:
if he's that damn good why's he at the navy?
Click to expand...

Going out on a limb here...but I guess for the same reasons Meyer was at Utah, Tressell in DII, Schiano at Rutgers, etc. Probably a better question is how do "bad coaches" end up at big time schools. People make selecting coaches out to be an over simplified process.
Click to expand...
Right, and don't forget that Johnson beat Tressell for one of his two DII titles (though I suppose the players probably played some part in that).

 
SkrMin8r...... I agree with all you said, but how did I miss the boat?

I stated in the original post, near the bottom that if PJ was to come to NU, he would need to get a great D-coordinator.....

Not trying to argue, but just asking what boat did I miss? He would be a perfect fit.... He runs the triple option like a science and he also knows the spread from his days in Hawaii..... If he comes he, he can use the talent on board and take time to decide what direction to head in the future, which would determine recruiting...

I want PJ.....What boat did I miss?

 
Ok i think Paul Johnson would be a great fit for nebraska. At Georgia Southern University he won the l-AA national championship in 99 and 2000. He is also one of only four coaches to ever record 50 wins in their first four seasons as head coach at the Division I level. (think Jim Tressel)

He coaches with what he has. At hawaii he ran a passing offense. Now at Navy he runs option. This isn't because thats what he particulary likes. This is because he has athletes that aren't really recruited they are just there to go into the military and they want to have some fun. The option gives small/not as athletic guys the option to win games. Of course he hasn't won all his games, but this is a guy that has to recruit kids to be owned by the goverment after college. At navy he went 2-10 his first year with a team that was 1-10 the year before. The next year 8-5 and then 10-2. He is a COACH. He will come into nebraska and use his resources, not bring in his fiest phone book/playbook (callahan).

I think he is a great coach with a lot of energy. (did you see the navy-notre dame game?) he ran out onto the field jumping up and down after they won.

For those of you who want turner gill, i like him to but he is just not ready. And no matter what you think he will come to nebraska when we call his name. So why don't we wait for him to get more experience and call him down the road if we need too.

 
You know I agree with you 110%. My number one coach is Bo Pelini but if we don't get Bo I would love to see Paul Johnson. I did watch the Navy vs Notre Dame game just to see what Paul runs for an offense. I was so freakin impressed and I don't care if they beat Notre Dame, it's hard to find recruits to play for Navy. All I saw from Paul Johnson against Navy was option, triple option, full back dive, quarterback keeper, and they actually got the fullback involved in the passing game. Paul Johnson would be a great coach for Nebraska.

 
Paul Johnson was also offensive coordinator under Erk Russell at Ga. Southern......they won National Titles in 85, 86, & 89 too while he was the OC. He has either been a part of the coaching staff or the head coach for 5 of the 6 titles the GSU team has won. 85, 86, 89, 99, and 00.

 
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