The king of the triple option and current Georgia Tech football coach, Paul Johnson, retired on Wednesday.
Several reports confirmed the news on Twitter.
Paul Johnson retiring at Georgia Tech. I just hope they keep running the triple option.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) November 28, 2018
Sources have told me that Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson will retire from coaching. Johnson has been at Georgia Tech since 2008. He compiled a 82-59 record in his 11 years on the job. Georgia Tech will be looking for a new head coach.
— BillShanks (@BillShanks) November 28, 2018
Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson is retiring, @BillShanks reports
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 28, 2018
Paul Johnson is indeed retiring, a source tells me. @TheAthleticATL
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) November 28, 2018
Johnson’s impact on college football is hard to overstate. Prior to coaching the Yellow Jackets, he ran the triple option at the Naval Academy, which has become a major feature of offenses at military academies. (RELATED: The Final AP College Football Poll Of The Regular Season Is Here. Find Out Who Is Number One)
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The triple option is one of the smartest offenses every created, and it does an incredible job of minimizing athletic advantages held by opponents. For example, it exploits slower defensive ends to give the rushing attack against a defense that would otherwise stifle it.
Navy has continued to dominate with the triple offense ever since he left, which only further shows just how effective it is.
Now, it really doesn’t work out too well in the NFL, where the defensive ends are simply too fast, but it has been a goldmine for some programs in college.
In the end, Johnson’s legacy won’t include a national title, but it will include helping popularize one of the most exploitive offenses ever run.