Johnson Leaves Navy For Ga. Tech

Coach Beat Army, Led Mids to 5 Straight Bowls

Navy football Coach Paul Johnson will leave the academy to take over the program at Georgia Tech, ending his six-year tenure that included unprecedented success.

"It's a very tough decision to leave Navy, it's a very special place," Johnson said. "But I felt like it was a great opportunity at Georgia Tech at this point in my career. . . . If I was going to do this, this was the time."

Johnson met with Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk on Wednesday to discuss serious interest from Georgia Tech, Southern Methodist and Duke. Late Wednesday afternoon, Gladchuk said Johnson was "doing some serious thinking" about his future.

Around 10:30 yesterday morning, Gladchuk said a decision was imminent. At about the same time, an e-mail was sent from Ryan Hamilton, the team's military liaison, to the players. It informed them that a team meeting was being held at 11:45 a.m. at Ricketts Hall.

"I knew as soon as I opened it" that Johnson was leaving, senior wide receiver O.J. Washington said.

Washington said the meeting became emotional.

"A couple guys cried," he said. "Coach Johnson got choked up. . . . He's a good guy. He loved us, and we loved him, too. We wish him the best. There's no hard feelings. It's a business; we understand that. It's just unfortunate."

Johnson's teams went 45-29, including 43-19 over the past five seasons -- and 11-1 against Army and Air Force. Navy also is headed to a bowl game for the fifth straight season.

Johnson, 50, will not coach Navy (8-4) in the Poinsettia Bowl against Utah (8-4) on Dec. 20 in San Diego. Gladchuk said he hoped to know today which assistant coaches would be at the bowl. Almost all of the assistants were out recruiting this week; they returned to Annapolis yesterday, and Gladchuk said he intended to meet with each one.

Gladchuk declined to name any candidates to replace Johnson. But an obvious candidate to Navy fans is Ken Niumatalolo, the assistant head coach and offensive line coach. Niumatalolo, 42, succeeded Johnson as offensive coordinator at Navy in 1997, after Johnson left to be the head coach at Georgia Southern.

"Nobody knows [Johnson's] offense better than Ken Niumatalolo," said Omar Nelson, a radio analyst for Navy. "If you look at the increased production this time [under Johnson] as opposed to the first time he was here, the biggest difference is the offensive line."

Johnson's tenure was marked by the return of the program to prominence. When he was named Navy's head coach in December 2001, fans were given T-shirts that read, "Navy Football: Expect to Win." It seemed an odd sentiment, given that the Midshipmen were 1-20 the previous two seasons combined and had not had a winning season since 1997.

Following a 2-10 mark in his first year, Navy began a run of five straight winning seasons, five straight bowl games and five straight victories over both Army and Air Force.

"We so appreciate Paul and what he meant to the academy and the fleet and everyone who serves in the Navy and Marines," Gladchuk said. "People are disappointed today that he decided to move on. But there is a tremendous sense of appreciation for what he accomplished. . . . Now is the time to move forward. The program is in such a better place now than it was five years ago. The next person who takes this job will have great facilities and the support to continue to win."

In many ways, this was a landmark year for Johnson. His offense is leading the nation in rushing for the third straight year; the Midshipmen defeated Notre Dame, 46-44, to end a 43-year losing streak in the series; and they played in one of the highest-scoring games in NCAA history, a 74-62 victory over North Texas on Nov. 10.

"He did a great job at Navy," junior fullback Eric Kettani said. "He beat Army and Air Force and Notre Dame. What else can you do? At the meeting he said his goal in life is to win a national championship. You can't blame him for that."