THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s National Football Foundation On-Campus Hall of Fame Salute to Paul Johnson will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28 in conjunction with the Yellow Jackets’ homecoming game versus North Carolina, the NFF announced on Tuesday.
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute is one of the College Football Hall of Fame’s most time-honored traditions, dating back to the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1951. As part of the festivities, Johnson – who has been selected for induction to the College Football Hall of Fame in December – will be honored during an in-game, on-field ceremony. As part of the ceremony, he will be presented with his Hall of Fame plaque.
In his first year of eligibility for enshrinement, Johnson will become Georgia Tech’s 20th College Football Hall of Fame inductee and its third in the last 10 years, joining quarterback Joe Hamilton (2014) and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (2018). He is the fourth Georgia Tech head coach to be enshrined (joining John Heisman, William Alexander and Bobby Dodd), but the first since Dodd in 1993.
Utilizing his patented spread option offense, Johnson compiled a career record of 189-99 (.656) in 22 seasons as a head coach, including an 82-60 record in 11 seasons at Georgia Tech (2008-18). His 82 wins are the fourth-most in Tech history, behind only Dodd (165), Alexander (134) and Heisman (102), while only Dodd won more games in his first 11 seasons on The Flats (91). Johnson’s .577 winning percentage with the Yellow Jackets ranks fifth in program history, behind only Heisman (.764), Dodd (.713), George O’Leary (.612) and Alexander (.580). Under Johnson, the Yellow Jackets compiled two of the nine 10-win seasons and one of the five 11-win campaigns in Georgia Tech’s 130-year football history.
He led the Jackets to nine bowl appearances and three Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Games and was named ACC Coach of the Year three times (2008, 2009 and 2014) during his 11 seasons at Tech. He was selected as National Coach of the Year by CBS Sportsline in 2008, marking the second time in his career that he received National Coach of the Year honors (Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year – 2004, Navy).
Johnson’s 22-year career as a head coach also included ultra-successful stints at Georgia Southern (1997-2001) and the U.S. Naval Academy (2002-07). In five seasons at Georgia Southern, he led the Eagles to a gaudy 62-10 overall record, two NCAA Division I-AA national championships (1999 and 2000) and five-straight Southern Conference titles. In six years at Navy, he led the Midshipmen to five eight-win seasons, five Commander-in-Chief’s trophies and five bowl appearances, turning around a program that had won just one game in the two seasons prior to his arrival (1-20).
When he stepped down at Georgia Tech at the end of the 2018 season, his 189 career victories ranked fourth among NCAA Division I FBS head coaches.
Tickets for Georgia Tech’s homecoming game versus North Carolina, which will include the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, are on sale now. Click HERE to purchase tickets online.
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Georgia Tech football season tickets, which guarantee the best seats and value for all of the exciting action of Tech’s seven home games in 2023 – including the Aflac Kickoff Game versus Louisville on Sept. 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Nov. 25 regular-season finale versus archrival Georgia at Bobby Dodd Stadium – are on sale now, starting at just $225. For more information and to purchase season tickets online, click HERE.
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