Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said that improvement is imperative with special teams and he’s willing to try new schemes to accomplish it. Johnson made the comments following the team’s second practice of the preseason Friday.
“We’ve got to be better,” Johnson said.
Last year, Tech was 107th in the country in kickoff returns, 100th in kickoff return defense and 97th in net punting. Special-teams mistakes were central to the loss to Duke. The team’s lone ACC win of the season (Florida State) was won on a blocked field goal return for a touchdown, and kicker Harrison Butker was 12th in the country in touchback percentage, but subpar special-teams play was at the heart of special-teams coordinator Ray Rychleski leaving by mutual decision.
“We’ve got to look at some new ideas and some new schemes with that (return) stuff, too, and see if we can’t branch out and do a better job with it,” Johnson said.
Johnson has appointed A-backs coach Lamar Owens as the coordinator for special teams, but the entire staff is contributing. It is the format that Johnson has used for nearly all of his career.
“We’ll have all our coaches involved now and they’re accountable for that team and they’re responsible for, so it just makes everybody a little more energized about it, I think,” Johnson said.
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