THE FLATS – Former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is one of nine NCAA Division I FBS coaches on the ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023, the National Football Foundation announced on Monday.
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 College Football Hall of Famers Bobby Dodd (165), William Alexander (134) and John 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).
He led the Jackets to nine bowl appearances and three Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Games and, during his 11 seasons at Tech, he was named ACC Coach of the Year three times (2008, 2009 and 2014). 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.
In his first year of eligibility (coaches become eligible for consideration three full seasons following their retirement), Johnson joins 80 players and nine coaches from the FBS level on the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. To be included on the ballot, a nominee must be selected by one of eight district screening committees. Other FBS coaches on the 2023 ballot include Larry Blackeney (Troy), Jim Carlen (West Virginia, Texas Tech and South Carolina), Pete Cawthon (Austin College and Texas Tech), Larry Coker (Miami (Fla.) and UTSA), former Georgia Tech assistant coach Ralph Friedgen (Maryland), Mark Richt (Georgia and Miami (Fla.)), Darry Rogers (Cal State East Bay, Fresno State, San Jose State, Michigan State and Arizona State) and Frank Solich (Nebraska and Ohio).
The 2023 ballot has been mailed to more than 12,000 National Football Foundation members and current Hall of Famers, whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court (chaired by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin), which will deliberate and select the class. The class will be announced in early 2023 and officially inducted during the 2023 NFF Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023.
Nineteen former Yellow Jackets are currently enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, which is located less than a mile from Georgia Tech’s campus in downtown Atlanta. Tech’s most recent inductee is wide receiver Calvin Johnson (2004-06), who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2018.
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With less than 100 days to go before Georgia Tech football’s highly anticipated season opener versus Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, now is the time to lock in on 2022 season tickets. The Yellow Jackets’ attractive 2022 home slate includes the Jackets’ Sept. 5 opener versus Clemson in the second edition of Tech’s “Mayhem at Mercedes-Benz Stadium” series, as well as showdowns with Ole Miss (Sept. 17), Virginia (Oct. 20) and Miami (Nov. 12) at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Season tickets, which include all six games on the Jackets’ home schedule and exclusive perks such as exclusive concessions and merchandise discounts at Bobby Dodd Stadium, priority access to parking and tickets for away games and discounts on admission to the College Football Hall of Fame and Illuminarium Atlanta, begin at just $299.
To become a Georgia Tech football season ticket member, click HERE to purchase tickets online or click HERE to be contacted by a member of the Georgia Tech athletics tickets sales team. For more information, call the Georgia Tech athletics ticket office at 888-TECH-TIX or visit ramblinwreck.com/footballtickets.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
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