Yellow Jackets coach to face former school

Sports

Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern

Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson’s first job as a college head coach was at Georgia Southern, the team his Yellow Jackets face in Game 3 of the season Saturday.

Paul Johnson, shown Thursday, Nov. 14, 1996 in Statesboro, after he was hired as head coach at Georgia Southern. Johnson returned to Georgia Southern, where in the 1985 and 1986 seasons he was offensive coordinator for national-championship winning teams, from his job as an assistant coach at Navy. (AP Photo/Statesboro Herald, Robert Cooper)

Paul Johnson talks on the phone in his office at Georgia Southern in 1996, his first season as coach of the Eagles. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Paul Johnson talks with his Georgia Southern players following a practice in this 2001 file photo in Statesboro. Johnson led that season's team to the Division I-AA semifinals, where the Eagles' bid for a third consecutive national championship ended. The day after a quarterfinals victory, Johnson accepted a job as head coach at Navy. (Kent D. Johnson, AJC file photo)

In 1996, Georgia Southern hired Paul Johnson, who took his option offense to the Eagles. ( AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Paul Johnson ended his Georgia Southern career with a loss to Furman 24-17 in the Division I-AA semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2001. He was hired by Navy the Sunday before, but remained at Georgia Southern until the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC file photo)

Paul Johnson, right, applauds his Georgia Southern team from the sidelines against Appalachian State during their NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) quarterfinal Saturday, Dec. 8, 2001, in Statesboro. Johnson led Georgia Southern to two consecutive Division I-AA championships and had the Eagles in the running for a third that season. He was hired as Navy's football coach the next day. (AP Photo/Savannah Morning News, Richard Burkhart)

Paul Johnson speaks with the media Sunday, Dec. 9, 2001, in Statesboro after he was hired as Navy's football coach. Johnson led Georgia Southern to two consecutive Division I-AA (now FCS) championships and had the Eagles in the running for a third that season. Johnson had been an assistant coach at Navy. (AP Photo/Savannah Morning News, Richard Burkhart)

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Paul Johnson, shown Thursday, Nov. 14, 1996 in Statesboro, after he was hired as head coach at Georgia Southern. Johnson returned to Georgia Southern, where in the 1985 and 1986 seasons he was offensive coordinator for national-championship winning teams, from his job as an assistant coach at Navy. (AP Photo/Statesboro Herald, Robert Cooper)

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