You may be right; maybe he is the best hire. But I really like Jennings (coached at Texas, Arkansas, TCU, UH, and SHSU), Ricker, Blum, and Wyatt, assuming he’ll stay on. Those are all quality coaches, in most cases the kind of assistants you’d find in the SEC or Big 12.
“For all of the hype and records shattered during the Keenum era, Sumlin never won a conference title because his teams always folded as soon as they got smacked in the mouth.”
The article is wrong on this front for sure. That is not true that the teams under Sumlin and Keenum folded when hit in the mouth. That is bs. I could give more than one example, but how about when we beat Oklahoma State in Sept. Of 2009 at their place when they were #5 in the nation. We answered everything they had and then some. Keenum was a winner and that showed in those teams. So I am still calling bs on that comment made by the author.
The Tulsa games in 2009 and 2011 also come to mind.
This hire is a gamble but what hire is not?
Feel free to say “best potential” but seeing as Utah has been to a bowl game 10 out of the 12 years Kyle Wittingham has been the coach and the 2 they missed were the only 2 years Johnson was the OC, he definitely doesn’t have the best track record of all the hires.
After Johnson’s first season it was obvious he was struggling and Wittingham brought in Dennis Erickson as co-OC for the next season. After the second season, Erickson was demoted to RB’s coach and Johnson to QB’s coach.
Let’s not anoint Coach Johnson as our savior just yet.
At the time, Johnson was only 24 as a OC. The idea that he had it all figured out at such a young age is crazy. The fact that Dennis Ericson was brought in and failed too points to bigger issues like turnover in key positions or lesser talent.
Right! I couldn’t imagine being in such an important role at age 24. That’s pretty tough! I’m sure he has grown and matured from his failures. I like the hire!
What snd who is the source of your quote?
The point is not if Johnson was at fault. The point is there is nothing to point to on his resume as an offensive coordinator to make a “best hire yet” claim.