Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/247378
NEWS & NOTES John Beale It may not have been as surprising as Ron Vanderlinden's ouster in the final weeks of Bill O'Brien's tenure as head coach, but when longtime defensive line coach Larry Johnson departed in midJanuary, the news hit even harder. For nearly two decades, Johnson had been Penn State's most celebrated recruiter and position coach. He was one of only two members of Joe Paterno's staff to continue under O'Brien, and he was named interim head coach in January while PSU's search committee sought O'Brien's replacement. Johnson had hoped to be that replacement – "Why not Larry Johnson?" he asked at a news conference in early January – and he interviewed for the job. But when the Nittany Lions hired James Franklin, Johnson opted to leave. He later accepted a position as defensive line coach/assistant head coach at Ohio State, where he will put his formidable player-development and recruiting skills to use for Urban Meyer's Buckeyes. "He let us know that he was applying for the [Penn State] position, corner" back Jordan Lucas said. "We were excited for him. When he didn't get it, we kind of knew how he was feeling. He was kind of hurt. Either way, I'm still happy for him with his decision and wish him nothing but the best. " Johnson, 61, spent 18 seasons at Penn State and coached seven first-team AllAmericans and six first-round NFL Draft picks. In 2006, Rivals.com named him the nation's top recruiter. Sons Larry Jr. and Tony both played football for Penn State, and daughter Teresa played softball at the university. Tony Johnson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that his father "would have been a helluva head coach. There are a lot of people who say he wasn't a defensive coordinator, so he can't jump up to the head coach from a position coach. But if you know my father – and the players who were in that locker room did – my father is a leader. "I thought my dad was one special individual who could go from position coach to leading a team out of the tunnel on Saturday. I think a lot of other people feel the same way. I don't want to keep tooting my dad's own horn, but I know I'm lucky enough to have him as my father. " Meyer said Johnson's family-oriented approach to the game was one of the reasons he sought him out after Buck-