Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson steps down: 'It's time to take a break'
Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson announced Wednesday that he is stepping down following 11 seasons with the program and 22 years as a Division I head coach.
"After 40 years of coaching, it's time to take a break," he said in a news release. "My family has sacrificed a lot over the years. I want to watch my daughter (Kaitlyn, a professional opera singer) perform and do some things with my wife (Susan) that we've never had a chance to do. It's been a great run for the last 11 years here on The Flats."
Johnson will coach the Yellow Jackets through their bowl game. He did not explicitly say he is retiring, as was initially reported.
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Wisenhunt, a Georgia Tech alum, is a top candidate to replace Johnson, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to a 7-5 mark this year and owns an 82-59 career record at Georgia Tech heading into the postseason. He steered the ACC school to a conference championship and the Orange Bowl in 2009, while his teams took three other trips to the ACC title game during his tenure.
The 61-year-old, who's famous for running the triple-option offense, began his career as a head coach at Georgia Southern in 1997. After five highly successful campaigns, he moved on to Navy. Georgia Tech lured him to Atlanta in 2008.
Georgia Tech joins Texas Tech, Colorado, Louisville, and Maryland as the only Power 5 schools that currently have a coaching vacancy.