Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: Georgia Southern (1997-2001), Navy (2002-07), Georgia Tech (2008-18)
Place of Birth: Newland, NC
Date of Birth: August 20, 1957
Record: 189-99-0 (65.6%)
Capitalizing on his patented spread option offense – one of the most innovative offensive schemes in all of college football – Paul Johnson took three programs to the top of their respective conferences and the national rankings, winning two national titles, five conference championships and making 18 bowl appearances. The Newland, North Carolina, native now becomes the first coach from Georgia Southern, the fourth coach from Georgia Tech, and the fifth coach from Navy to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
In his last stop at Georgia Tech, Johnson went 82-60 during 11 seasons, and the Yellow Jackets appeared in the final national rankings in 2008 (No. 22), 2009 (No. 13), and 2014 (No. 8). He led Georgia Tech to nine bowl games, including two New Year's Six bowls (Orange 2009, 2014). The Yellow Jackets appeared in three ACC Championship games during his tenure and won the ACC Coastal Division four times. His Georgia Tech teams led the ACC in rushing offense every year, and he was named ACC Coach of the Year three times (2008, 2009, 2014). He is the fourth-winningest coach at Georgia Tech behind John Heisman, William Alexander, and Bobby Dodd, who are all in College Football Hall of Fame. He coached two of nine total 10-win seasons and one of five 11-win seasons in Georgia Tech history.
At Navy, he inherited a program that had gone 1-20 in the previous two seasons. Johnson transformed the program, and during his six seasons in Annapolis, the Midshipmen went 45-29, landing at No. 24 in the Associated Press poll in 2004. He coached Navy to five bowl berths. Johnson went 11-1 in Commander-In-Chief's trophy games, winning five CIC trophies, which represents the annual winner of the Air Force-Army-Navy round-robin. He never lost to Army, going 6-0 against the Black Knights, and in 2007 he led Navy to a victory over Notre Dame for the first time in 43 years.
In his five seasons at Georgia Southern, the Eagles notched a 62-10 record, making five FCS playoff appearances and winning the FCS championship twice (1999 and 2000). He won the Southern Conference with Georgia Southern every year. He was twice named Southern Conference Coach of the Year (1997 and 1998) while heading the Eagles program. The 1999 team led the nation in scoring, rushing and total offense, and set the NCAA single-season record for average rushing yards per game (419.0) while breaking 197 schools records. Johnson was inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
Johnson coached 11 First Team All-Americans and one First Team Academic All-American. He coached 1999 Walter Payton Award winner and 2017 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Peterson at Georgia Southern and 2010 Burlsworth Trophy recipient Sean Bedford at Georgia Tech.
Johnson was recognized as the CBS National Coach of the Year in 2008, the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 2004, and the Eddie Robinson Award winner as the I-AA National Coach of the Year in 1998. He was twice named the AFCA NCAA Division I-AA National Coach of the Year (1999, 2000).
Before becoming a head coach, Johnson served as offensive coordinator at Navy (1995-96), Hawaii (1987-94), Georgia Southern (1985-86) and as defensive line coach at Georgia Southern (1983-84). During his first stint at Georgia Southern, he was part of the coaching team that won consecutive FCS National Championships (1985-86) with the Eagles, and as the offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern, he mentored College Football Hall of Fame inductee Tracy Ham. His coaching career began with roles as an offensive coordinator at Avery County (N.C.) High School from 1979-80 and at nearby Lees-McRae College from 1981-82.
He has participated in a wide variety of charitable endeavors at each of his schools over the years, including his annual participation in the Bobby Dodd and Chick-fil-A charity golf tournaments, which raise money for the Bobby Dodd Foundation, WinShape Homes and the schools' scholarship funds. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Western Carolina in 1979 and his master's in health and physical education from Appalachian State in 1982.
