Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson said media pushed job speculation

Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson. BRANT SANDERLIN/BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson. BRANT SANDERLIN/BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

After an upset win over a ranked team helped his team become bowl eligible for the eighth time in his nine seasons, Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson said he has never felt heat about his job security.

The Yellow Jackets went 3-9 last season, one of three losing seasons he has had in his entire coaching career. He is 67-48 at Tech, 174-87 overall with what will be 18 postseason appearances in 20 seasons as a head coach at Georgia Southern, Navy and Tech. He received a four-year contract extension in 2014 from previous athletic director Mike Bobinski.

Johnson, who is the longest tenured coach in the ACC, said he feels that any speculation about his status at Tech has been pushed by the media.

“I don’t get it from the administration, from the fan base, from the alumni,” he said. “I see where y’all write about it in the paper and hear it on the radio.

“I don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t be the first guy and won’t be the last.”

Asked how often he has communicated with incoming athletic director Todd Stansbury, Johnson said once on the day he was introduced and a second time by text after Saturday’s win against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Stansbury doesn’t start until the end of November. He will be the third athletic director Johnson has worked for at Tech.

“Once again its media-driven about how it’s going to be a huge deal,” Johnson said. “I will coach the football team. He will run athletics.

“If he wants a new football coach I imagine he will get it. I’m going to do my job and he can do his job.”