Oct. 29, 2010
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson will be inducted into the Georgia Southern University Sports Hall of Fame this weekend.
Johnson will be inducted along with six former GSU student-athletes.
The 2010 Hall of Fame class includes: Tara Chaisson (women’s soccer), Pat Douglas (football), Greg Hill (football), Paul Johnson (football coach), Stacey Scheible (women’s swimming), Jeff Shireman (baseball) and Britta Wilms (women’s tennis).
The seven individuals will officially be inducted on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Hall of Fame dinner in the Gene Bishop Field House. The new inductees will be introduced during a halftime ceremony at the Georgia Southern-Samford football game at Paulson Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 30).
The class of 2010 was chosen by the selection committee from a list of 79 names on the 2010 ballot. The list includes student-athletes, coaches, administrators and supporters who have been nominated in previous years as well as those first-time individuals proposed for the honor. The Hall of Fame selection criteria includes a 10-year eligibility moratorium for all student-athletes and a five-year period for coaches and administrators. A Hall of Fame class is chosen once every two years and only one non-student-athlete per class may be selected for induction.
“The Hall of Fame provides us with the opportunity to honor individuals who have had a major impact on our program,” said Georgia Southern Director of Athletics Sam Baker. “These seven individuals will join the 107 members of the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame during our induction weekend in the fall. Each one exemplified success and we will celebrate their accomplishments as Eagles and for their contributions to their teams, the department and the university.”
Johnson’s bio sketch from Georgia Southern:
Assistant coach from 1983-86… started as defensive line coach, promoted to offensive coordinator in 1985… helped the offense set numerous records, posting a combined 26-4 record from 1985-86 and won the first two I-AA National Championships in program history… in that span coached four All-Americans… became the Eagles head coach in 1997… won two more National Championships (1999, 2000) and led team to 1997 playoff and 1998 title game appearance… advanced to semifinals in 2001… in five years as head coach posted a 62-10 record (.861 winning percentage)… won five straight Southern Conference championships… tied or broke (individual and GSU) 379 team, Southern Conference, playoff or Paulson Stadium records… also ranked among the Top 10 nationally in 21 statistical categories in that span… produced 31 All-Americans, including 1999 Walter Payton Award winner Adrian Peterson… two-time SoCon Coach of the Year… 1998 Eddie Robinson Award winner as I-AA National Coach of the Year… went on to be the head coach at Navy for six years, posting a 45-29 record… led the Midshipmen to a bowl game the last five years… currently the head coach at Georgia Tech… led the Yellow Jackets to the ACC title and an Orange Bowl berth in his second season (2009)… 2004 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year… 2007 finalist for Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year… 2003 finalist as National Coach of the Year… two-time AFCA I-AA National Coach of the Year (1999-2000)… three-time AFCA Region II Coach of the Year.
