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US Navel Academy September 12, 2005
Johnson took over a program that had posted a 1-20 record the previous two years combined before his arrival in 2002. After a 2-10 mark in his first year, the Navy football program has achieved what many thought was no longer possible at an Academy. Navy posted a 10-2 record in 2004, tying the school record for wins set in 1905. The Midsı 18 wins over the last two years (8-5 in 2003, 10-2 in 2004) also equals the most victories at Navy over a two-year span in almost a century. Johnson has led Navy to back-to-back bowl games (Houston Bowl in 2003 and the Emerald Bowl in 2004), something that has happened just one other time in the 124-year history of the program. The Mids defeated New Mexico, 34-19, in the Emerald Bowl, giving Navy just its fifth bowl win in school history. The Midshipmen won the Commander-In-Chiefıs Trophy in 2004 for the second-consecutive season marking only the second time in school history that Navy has won the trophy in back-to-back years. Johnson was recognized for his coaching exploits when he was named the 2004 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year. Johnson brought the Navy football program back to national prominence with a relentless ground attack and an improved defense. Navy finished third in the country in rushing in 2004, averaging 289.5 yards per contest. The Mids have also improved by leaps and bounds on defense over the last two years. This yearıs group finished 44th in total defense and 26th in scoring defense. After Johnson took over as head coach at Georgia Southern in 1997, he returned the Eagle program to national prominence statistically and in the won-lost ledger. In addition to Georgia Southernıs 62-10 mark, the Eagles scored 2,855 points (39.7 points per game), picked up 25,941 rushing yards (360.3 yards per game), 7,816 passing yards (108.6 yards per game) and 33,757 total yards (468.8 yards per game). GSU scored 380 touchdowns in the Johnson Era, an average of 5.3 per game. The Eaglesı scoring margin under Johnson was +21.5 (39.7-18.5). Johnson picked up a milestone victory in the 2000 I-AA National Championship Game against Montana. Not only did the 27-25 victory give Georgia Southern its second-straight national title, but it was Johnsonıs 50th-career win in four seasons. Only three other coaches in the history of Division I football have won 50 or more games in four seasons, as Johnson joined Walter Camp (1888-1891, 54-2 at Yale), George Woodruff (1892-1895, 53-4 at Penn) and Bob Pruett (1996-99, 50-4 at Marshall) on the exclusive list. Arriving at Georgia Southern in 1983 as defensive line coach, Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1985. Under his tutelage, record-setting quarterback Tracy Ham and the Eagle offense rewrote the school record book 75 times while averaging 435 total yards and 36 points per contest. Georgia Southern rolled to a combined 26-4 (.867) record while capturing a pair of I-AA titles in 1985-86. Johnsonıs coaching career began when he was offensive coordinator and line coach at his alma mater Avery County (N.C.) High School in 1979-80. He accepted the offensive coordinatorıs position at Lees McRae Junior College in 1981, leading his offensive unit to a sixth-place national standing among NJCAA total offense leaders. Johnson, a native of Newland, N.C., earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Western Carolina in 1979 and a Masterıs of Science degree in health and physical education from Appalachian State in 1982. He and wife, Susan, are the parents of a daughter, Kaitlyn (12).
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When college football experts start talking about the best college football coaches in America, the conversation should begin with Navy head coach Paul Johnson. What he has accomplished at the Naval Academy in three short seasons has been of historic proportions.