Georgia Tech likely will beef up Johnson’s deal

Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich said he plans to meet with Paul Johnson’s representatives this week to discuss Johnson’s contract. With jobs opening up around the country, including Auburn, it is evidently a proactive move by Radakovich to keep Johnson off the market.

“We’re just lucky to have him and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure he stays at Georgia Tech for an awful long time,” he said.

Johnson’s Atlanta-based agent, Jack Reale, confirmed the meeting to “discuss some adjustments and changes” to the contract.

“In my conversations with Coach, he’s very happy and feels gratified to be at Tech and really enjoys his players and the administration,” Reale said.

Radakovich said he set up the meeting on Tuesday, the day Johnson was named ACC coach of the year. A year ago Sunday, Johnson was named Tech’s 12th head coach. He signed a seven-year contract worth a minimum of $11.225 million, an annual average of about $1.6 million.

According to reports, top coaching salaries in the ACC are at $2 million and above. At the end of the 2007 season, former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden reportedly received a contract paying him $2.2 million annually before resigning in the middle of this season.

Johnson likely will seek to have another year or more added onto the contract.

The Jackets, picked to finish fourth in the ACC’s Coastal Division, are 9-3, the most wins by any coach in his first year at Tech. The Jackets tied for the division title and beat rival Georgia for the first time in eight years. Tech was invited Wednesday to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Johnson was unavailable to comment Saturday. He is expected to speak with reporters tonight after Tech’s bowl opponent is announced. Wednesday, he dismissed the possibility of resigning.

“I’ve said that over and over,” he said. “At this time of the year, it’s kind of the norm. Everybody talks about things and rumors. If I wasn’t intending on being here, I wouldn’t be running like I am going out recruiting right now.”