ESPN: NC State’s search focused on Johnson

General NCS Football139

North Carolina State’s search for a new football coach has focused on Navy’s Paul Johnson, sources close to the situation said early Tuesday.

SFN will have a more detailed coaching update later in the afternoon. In the meantime you can click here for our latest.

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General NCS Football

139 Responses to ESPN: NC State’s search focused on Johnson

  1. quypack93 12/05/2006 at 1:49 PM #

    get jimbo so he can learn on the job (amato), or get pj so he can win on the job from the get go. don’t get stuck with jimbo on lsu’s record, duke had a lot of optimism when they hired carl franks and so was ecu when they hired thompson who happened to run ecu to ground from where logan left it. we can’t afford someone who will learn on the job. our program is in good standing. we need someone to get us to the next level. go sign pj.

  2. Lock 12/05/2006 at 1:51 PM #

    PQ: It’s damn hard to tell through all the arrogance, but you might have a point hidden in there somewhere.

    What’s JJ’s w/l record, though? If it’s comparable to PJ’s, I’ll grant that maybe a more serious look should be given.

  3. primacyone 12/05/2006 at 1:52 PM #

    It seems like earlier in the season I kept seeing a lot of post on this board that went somehting like: “….can you imagine what Jim Grobe would be doing if he had the talent that NC State has….”

    Replace Jim Grobe with Paul Johnson in that sentence and imagine next year.

  4. partialqualifier 12/05/2006 at 1:53 PM #

    Choppack:

    I read your analysis, but to me it is irrelevant for one very important reason:
    ALL of those current head coaches on your list were assistants at some point. They were assistants who were given a chance at another school…..succeded…then were given a chance at an ACC school. What does that prove? Are you suggesting that we should let the WAC, MAC, C-USA, and those types of schools hire the assistants…and State just focus on the guys from those conferences who have cut their teeth? Otherwise I dont see the relevance.

  5. skywalkerdt 12/05/2006 at 1:53 PM #

    Whichever way statistics point to hiring current hc’s vs assistants what really matters is to find a guy that fits. fisher or johnson either one could be very successful. we know fisher would have to find a defensive mind to come with him and johnson would need to hire a second to none type of recruiter to step up to the big stage. what kind of offense i don’t care so long as it gets the job done and that matters more to execution and play calling than style. the thing to me is what ties does fisher have to ncsu, the state of nc, or the acc for that matter? what’s to say if he’s successful he doesn’t bolt to return to the sec? johnson is a newland native, that has to count for something in the loyalty we can hope to get from the man, he’s from the hometown of one famous wolfpacker to say the least!

  6. DIXIE Wolf 12/05/2006 at 1:54 PM #

    And you think Junes Jones would be able to recuit the 5 star athletes?

  7. primacyone 12/05/2006 at 1:55 PM #

    ^PG

    That’s the best idea yet. Let the WAC, MAC, and C-USA and those types of schools hire the assistants . . . and State just focus on the guys who are already proven winners.

  8. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 12/05/2006 at 1:56 PM #

    I don’t have a problem with assistant coaches but at this time State can’t afford that risk. After O’Cain and Amato NC State has thrown out of the progress made by Sheriden and with the exception of some nice facilities and some potential talent we are back to the Tom Reed record.

    You can get lucky when you go for an assistant but you can also be Amatoed. I just don’t think we can afford that risk. Another year or two of 3-8 records people will stop buying season tixs and the lifetime seating rights will be gone and that would be a fiasco.

    Johnson wouldn’t be my first choice- I like Coker or O’Leary- but he is winner and he is a proven head coach.

  9. primacyone 12/05/2006 at 1:58 PM #

    Johnson can hire a second to none recruiter. And best yet, he can keep him. Do you think Johnson is walking into this blind with a “I think I’m ready for a BCS conference… attitude and plan.

    He’s been planning this kind of move for 10 years. He has a firm plan in place to move a program forward.

  10. primacyone 12/05/2006 at 2:01 PM #

    And could be equally as important as the plan is the passion. PJ has something to prove. Of everyone on the list, he has the most to prove.

    Do you think he’s going to settle for 8-4 and say where the best team in the state of NC over the last six years? PJ want’s to do something big on a national stage.

  11. Dan 12/05/2006 at 2:11 PM #

    “Of everyone on the list, he has the most to prove. ”

    Because he has accomplished the least.

  12. partialqualifier 12/05/2006 at 2:12 PM #

    June Jones…..entire college experience is as Head Coach of Hawaii.

    8 Seasons.
    63-40. 5 All-Americans. 51 All Conference performers. 11 NFL draft picks.

    The previous 5 seasons before Jones was hired…hawaii won a combined total of 12 games and had ZERO players drafted. That is an average of 2.4 wins per seaon for 5 years….compared to 7.9 wins per season under Jones!!

    Records per season at Hawii:
    1999 9-4 Bowl
    2000 3-9
    2001 9-3 Bowl
    2002 10-4 Bowl
    2003 9-5 Bowl
    2004 8-5 Bowl
    2005 5-7
    2006 10-3 Bowl

    His team have been in the Top 3 in passing for 6 consecutive seasons and the seventh season they were 5th. He has spent 12 years in the NFL as head coach, QB coach, and OC.

    Under Jones….Hawaii has broken 299 school records….that’s right 299!!
    They have also broken 14 NCAA records!! His QB Timmy Chang…who was not nationally recruited, and not drafted….threw for 17,072 yards in 4 seasons at Hawaii….breaking the NCAA yards record. His current QB Colt Brennan is considered a Heisman hopeful. In 1999 he orchestrated the biggest single seaon turnaround in NCAA history taking Hawii to a 9-4 record!

    He is 53 years old.

    He played at Hawaii….but he played for and coached the Atlant Falcons. I have seen various reports that indicate he has expressed some interest in the NC State vacancy. If that is true….why the hell are talking about Fisher and Johnson?

  13. primacyone 12/05/2006 at 2:12 PM #

    BS

  14. MatSci94 12/05/2006 at 2:13 PM #

    “this Navy offense is putrid”

    and averaged 30+ points per game. What did we average this year?

    Navy has 0 players with scholarship offers from other schools. What could he do with 2 of the best running backs in the ACC?

    Navy also played a soph QB, and lost their best RB early in the first half.

  15. partialqualifier 12/05/2006 at 2:17 PM #

    I challenge anyone in here to show me how Johnson is more qualified than June Jones to caoch NC State.

  16. skywalkerdt 12/05/2006 at 2:20 PM #

    2 1-aa championships and winning at navy is enough for me

  17. skywalkerdt 12/05/2006 at 2:21 PM #

    to vote for him over june jones

  18. partialqualifier 12/05/2006 at 2:25 PM #

    Sorry skywalkerdt…but 2 D1-AA championships and winning at Navy hardly compares to 12 years of NFL coaching experience.

    Furhtermore….wasnt Johnson OC at Hawaii back in the day? If he was such an “offensive genius” why wasnt he hired at Hawaii in 1999 instead of June Jones?

  19. Woof Wolf 12/05/2006 at 2:26 PM #

    “but he is winner and he is a proven head coach.”

    Tom Reed was a proven head coach with a 34-19 record.

    PJ is 36-25 at Navy.

  20. partialqualifier 12/05/2006 at 2:26 PM #

    DixieWolf:

    Exactly what recruitingties does Johnson have that would help us?

  21. skywalkerdt 12/05/2006 at 2:26 PM #

    june jones is more an nfl guy i’d say. plus if he’s willing to leave his alma mater (you said he played for hawaii) for us where is he willing to leave us for? i don’t want someone who talks big and shows no loyalty. we need someone who is out to make ncsu win on and off the field and that not just to be a stepping stone to the next thing

  22. packpigskinfan23 12/05/2006 at 2:30 PM #

    some of you are WAY too in love with Johnson.

    I think partialqualifier has made a good point when he asks why NAVY is the best job this man has had so far…

    sure he is in the mix at a couple of schools right now, but NC STATE and Bama seem to be the biggest names. His name is in the mix at Bama because they have failed on other canidates and I believe all the hype we are giving him is making its way to Bama. His name is in the mix here at NCSU because he is from NC, and has a good record. ok… records are good and all, but what kind of teams is he playing?! I would like to see some info on that.

    I know he will be able to adept to a MORE passer freindly game, but just HOW passer freindly is it going to be?!?! will Brown and Baker I dont see why he WOULDNT run the ball 45+ times a game. I wouldnt doubt it if Stone becomes the starter and we run an offense that is VERY similar to WV’s. I wouldnt mind seeing SOME of that, but its not really what I want for NC State.

    I am not saying that I dont like the idea of PJ being our next coach… but I am intrigued a bit more by Fisher and Chow. I dont doubt Fishers ability to lead at all, and Chow is one of the great assistants of all time. If nothing else both WILL improve this team.

    I think that IF we were to hire PJ we NEED to have serious conversations about where he plans on taking the team on the O side of the ball.

  23. TNCSU 12/05/2006 at 2:31 PM #

    ^^^tvp, your post from 1:04 p.m. was right on… Everyone, please read and heed!! Whoever the new coach is, we should back 100%, and quit thinking we are AD’s!!

  24. primacyone 12/05/2006 at 2:31 PM #

    I’d take June Jones over Jimbo – just because he is a proven head coach, but I don’t think June Jones is on the list.

  25. skywalkerdt 12/05/2006 at 2:32 PM #

    you don’t know if johnson was offered the hawaii position, maybe he considered it a lateral move and instead decided to build on what he had at the time?

    plus, i would consider more why they hired jones at hawaii and not why they did not hire johnson. why did we hire amato? if all else looks equal to you, stay in the family!

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