Georgia Southern’s National Football Foundation On-Campus Hall of Fame Salute to former head coach Paul Johnson will be held this Thursday in conjunction with the Eagles’ ESPN2 game against Georgia State. The celebration will take place at the end of the first quarter on the field.
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 Southern’s third College Football Hall of Fame inductee, joining quarterback Tracy Ham (2007) and running back Adrian Peterson (2017).
Utilizing his patented spread option offense, Johnson compiled a career record of 189-99 (.656) in 22 seasons as a head coach. 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.
Johnson’s 22-year career as a head coach also included ultra-successful stints at Georgia Tech (2008-2018) and the U.S. Naval Academy (2002-07). 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). At Georgia Tech, Johnson posted an 82-60 record in 11 seasons.
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.
Source: Georgia Southerns Eagles
