When I first heard that Paul Johnson was retiring, I immediately celebrated because the triple option offense in the ACC is likely no more. Seriously, is anyone going to miss watching this?

Nothing against Paul Johnson, but I can’t stand to watch his team play offense or to watch my team try and stop his team from executing his offense. It has driven me crazy for 11 years, especially when your team is on the other end of it, knows what’s coming, and can’t stop it. 

The amount of success Johnson had in the ACC is remarkable. When he came to Georgia Tech from Navy, I didn’t think it would work long-term, but he consistently found guys that were able to run his system, and also recruited fairly well on the defensive side of the ball. 

Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to three Coastal Division titles (and tied for first in 2008, but Virginia Tech held the tiebraker), and won one ACC Championship back in 2009. He led Georgia Tech to seven consecutive bowl appearances, and after this year’s bowl will have made 9 bowl games in his 11-year tenure.

Johnson also won two Division 1-AA national titles at Georgia Southern in back-to-back seasons in 1999-2000. I’m sure we’ll see a bunch of names thrown around as to who the next head coach will be, but one thing is probable – no more triple option.

Johnson wraps up his Georgia Tech coaching career with a record of 82-59 (pending the 2018 bowl), with a 51-37 conference record. Before he coached the Yellow Jackets, Johnson was the head coach of Navy from 2002-2007, turning that program around highlighted by 5 straight bowl appearances and snapping a 43-year winless streak against Notre Dame in 2007 in a triple over-time winner.