the definitive Paul Johnson | by Jay

Here's a pretty good Washington Post article from last fall about Navy's coach Paul Johnson and his triple option attack.

The offense that made Johnson's teams ultra-successful was also his biggest obstacle to landing a more lucrative job in the Division I-A ranks. Over the past 20 years, Johnson has fine-tuned the triple-option spread offense, which has become as rare in college football as two-way players. Most Division I-A schools have become enamored with the passing game, which many athletic directors believe makes for more exciting football and greater ticket sales.

"If people really believe that, I think it's really funny," Johnson said. "If you went to any school where we've been and asked the fans what they thought about our offense, they'd tell you they were pretty excited watching us play. To me, I'd think you'd just want to win games."

Johnson is getting the last laugh now. Since inheriting a Navy football program that had won one game in its two previous seasons -- the Midshipmen's 1-20 record in 2000 and 2001 was the worst two-year mark in the program's 122-year history -- Johnson has guided his teams to 14 victories. Navy was the second-most improved football team in Division I-A last year, improving from 2-10 to 8-5 and winning the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1981.