Paul Johnson (American football coach)

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Paul Johnson

U.S. Naval Academy defensive end (DE) Jeremy Chase, left, Quarterback (QB) Lamar Owens, center, and head football coach Paul Johnson (right) receive the Poinsettia Bowl trophy after defeating Colorado State 51-30.
Date of birth	August 20, 1957
Sport	Football
College	Navy
Title	Head Coach
Record with Team	28-21
Overall Record	90-31
Awards	2004 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year 2000 AFCA NCAA I-AA Coach of the Year 1999 AFCA NCAA I-AA Coach of the Year 1998 Sports Network I-AA Coach of the Year 1998 Eddie Robinson Award 1997, 1998 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
Championships   won	1999, 2000 NCAA I-AA National Champion
Coaching positions
2002-Present 1997-2001	Navy Georgia Southern (I-AA)

Paul Johnson is the head coach of football at the United States Naval Academy.

Contents 1 Coaching 2 Yearly Results 3 Personal 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Coaching

Johnson formerly served as head football coach at Georgia Southern University. During his time at Georgia Southern, the Eagles captured the NCAA Division I-AA national football championships in 1999 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.^[1]

In 2002, Johnson departed Georgia Southern for Navy. Johnson's initial season saw the Midshipmen win only two of twelve contests, although the season ended on a high note with his first victory over Army. Subsequently, Johnson's teams have enjoyed a high degree of success. The 2003 team completed the regular season with an 8-4 mark, including wins over both Air Force and Army, and earned a berth in the EV1.net Houston Bowl, Navy's first bowl game since 1996. The Midshipmen faced a tough opponent and lost to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 38-14. In 2004, Johnson's team posted Navy's best start in over 30 years, finishing the regular season 9-2 and once again earning a bowl berth, this time in the Emerald Bowl. Johnson coached the Mids to a win over New Mexico 34-19, the fifth bowl win in the school's history. That gave Navy 10 wins on the season, tying the record for wins at Navy, which had stood since 1905. The 2005 squad recorded a final mark of 8-4, which was highlighted by victories over Army, Air Force, and Colorado State in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl.

Coach Johnson has dominated the Commander in Chief's Trophy competition, going 9-1 (.900) in his five years, with the only loss against another service academy coming at the hands of Air Force in his first season. He is only the second coach in Navy's history to go 5-0 in his first five seasons against Army, joining Wayne Hardin, and his 2006/2007 senior class was the first in Navy history to win the Commander in Chief's Trophy for all four years.

Much of Johnson's success has been predicated on his triple option flexbone offense, a run oriented attack that has led NCAA DI-A football in rushing yards three of the last four years. Some have criticized the triple option as an antiquated, unbalanced system unfit for major college football, which may explain some BCS teams' reluctance to offer him a position despite his accomplishments at both Georgia Southern and Navy. Johnson has rebutted this argument in numerous press conferences and interviews, asserting that several top teams, including 2005-2006 national champion Texas and 2006-2007 national champion Florida, utilize various forms of the option. He has repeatedly stated that the superior athletes in power conferences could help the triple option flourish.

However Johnson has also stated that if he had a good throwing quarterback he would utilize the pass more often.

[edit] Yearly Results

School	Year	W	L	T	Pct.	Notes
Georgia Southern	1997	10	3	0	.769	Southern Conference Champions
Georgia Southern	1998	14	1	0	.933	Southern Conference Champions
Georgia Southern	1999	13	2	0	.867	I-AA National Champion Southern Conference Champions
Georgia Southern	2000	13	2	0	.867	I-AA National Champion Southern Conference Champions
Georgia Southern	2001	12	2	0	.857	Southern Conference Champions
Navy	2002	2	10	0	.167
Navy	2003	8	5	0	.615	EV1.net Houston Bowl, L 38-14
Navy	2004	10	2	0	.833	Emerald Bowl, W 34-19
Navy	2005	8	4	0	.667	Poinsettia Bowl, W 51-30
Navy	2006	9	4	0	692	Meineke Car Care Bowl, L 25-24
Total	9	99	35	0	.738

[edit] Personal

Johnson and his wife, Susan, have a daughter named Kaitlyn. He earned his Bachelor of Science in physical education from Western Carolina University in 1979. He also earned a Master of Science in health and physical education from Appalachian State University in 1982.

Preceded by Rick Lantz

Navy Head Football Coach 2002–

Succeeded by Current

[edit] External links

• Bio at Navy Athletics Website

[edit] References

1. ^ Coaches Sections of 2006 Navy football Media Guide (PDF).