Blue White Illustrated

Johnson's departure inspires mixed feelings arry Johnson is obviously just one of many Penn State football coaches to leave for another collegiate coaching position, but he's the first one in 118 years to go to one of the team's fiercest rivals. The last man to do that was George Hoskins, officially honored as Penn State's head coach from 1892-95, who left to coach at Pitt in 1896 and became forever known among Penn State fans of that era as "Traitor Hoskins. " Only the most senseless of today's Nittany Lion fans would insult Johnson and shame the university by labeling him a traitor. However, there are mixed feelings about Johnson joining the staff of Ohio State as defensive line coach. It is, in essence, a lateral move, although he was given the prestigious title of assistant head coach, which may give him more clout. It's likely a hefty pay raise was one enticement and perhaps the desire to be part of a team competing for the national championship and not one still burdened by NCAA sanctions. More probable is that the popular and highly regarded line coach and recruiter had deep personal reasons after 18 years of fidelity to Penn State. However, taking a position anywhere but Ohio State may have been easier for the Penn State nation to accept, even if it were with another team in the Big Ten. According to one football insider, Johnson "just gave the finger to the administration. I believe he did more than " that. To use the vernacular of my heritage, he gave the Italian salute to Penn State fans, too, the ones who admired and praised the man for all that he did for Penn State since joining Joe Paterno's staff fresh from high schools in Maryland and Virginia. Johnson was obviously fuming, but as this column is being written he has not L publicly stated what triggered his move. Perhaps he is upset that he wasn't selected as the new head coach. That's reasonable to a point. The players loved and valued him and not just those who saw him as a father figure. He also was well-respected throughout the Lasch Building. Johnson proved his loyalty to Joe Paterno and Bill O'Brien, and to the Penn State administration. Along with former linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, he served as the needed bridge between interim coach Tom Bradley and O'Brien in the early weeks of O'Brien's tenure, when keeping recruits committed to Penn State was vital during an extremely tumultuous period. Perhaps even more significant were the disquieting days in January when he was appointed the interim head coach after O'Brien left for the Houston Texans and immediately took several assistant coaches with him. Johnson kept the returning players and the potential recruits together through all the turmoil while the athletic director's search committee sought a new head coach. One theory is that Johnson felt he deserved the position for his loyalty and all his accomplishments, including the consistently impressive performance of his defensive line, which was led most seasons by a first-team All-American or high NFL draft choice. Maybe he did deserve it. However, Johnson lacked an almost mandatory credential to become head coach of a major college football program. He was never a coordinator. This may not seem like much to some fans, but given the fast-paced, high-scoring and pressurized style of football that is played today, experienced defensive and offensive coordinators are crucial to a team's ultimate success. A source inside the football building told me that Johnson was extremely unhappy with his interview by the search committee. If he felt the committee was simply going through the motions and was not taking him seriously, then his displeasure is understandable, even if it was just his perception and not viewed similarly by committee members. That might be one rational explanation for his departure, but not his defection to Ohio State. The new head coach, James Franklin, said he wanted Johnson to stay on as defensive line coach and offered him the job. Johnson declined, telling Bob Flounders of The (Harrisburg) PatriotNews he was "very appreciative of all that went into my time at Penn State… but it's time for me [to leave]." Johnson and Franklin were recruiting adversaries for a number of years, and in the end, Johnson may not have wanted to serve under him on Penn State's staff. That might be the best explanation for Johnson's decision to work for Urban Meyer, Ohio State's controversial head coach. Meyer is part of a new coaching breed – and Franklin may be part of it, too – that plays by rules that are much more aggressive than those once observed by old-timers like Paterno, Bobby Bowden and the late Bear Bryant. Although they may have crossed the line occasionally – and although there was some genuine bad blood between a few of them, as was the case with Paterno and Pitt's Jackie Sherrill – the coaches of that earlier generation didn't treat each other as if they were engaged in an Old West duel or gladiator fight. But salaries have skyrocketed since those days, turning college football into a virtual highstakes poker game. It's going to be difficult for most Penn State fans to see Johnson on the Buckeye

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