Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk just doesn?t get it.
He?s still trying figure out why successful football coaches across the country are being fired or forced to resign.
“There are a lot of athletic directors out there dealing with a sense of desperation looking for the perfect combination,” Gladchuk said. “The problem is there is much more parity in college football today. Everyone has the same number of scholarships, have the same facilities and have the finances to invest in the program. I?ve never understood the decision to fire someone who won six, seven or eight games on a consistent basis.”
But that?s exactly what?s happened at Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas A&M thepast week, where each school?s football coach was shown the door or walked through it voluntarily after only one disappointing season. Last year, Georgia Tech?s Chan Gailey and Nebraska Bill Callahan guided their teams to conference championship games, and Michigan?s Lloyd Carr led the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl. Arkansas went to a New Year?s Day bowl game last year, and Texas A&M also went to a bowl game. But after all of the teams failed to reach their lofty expectations, their coaches were gone.
Meantime, Johnson may have more job security than any football coach in the country ? and he?s lost at least four games in each of the past three years and could lose as many as six this season. His reward? He?s been mentioned by several media outlets as a potential candidate for coaching vacancies across the country. That?s not bad for a coach who has gone 44-29 in six seasons in Annapolis entering Saturday?s game against Army (3-8) at M&T Bank Stadium.
Johnson refused to comment on whether he had been contacted regarding the Nebraska opening, which became available this past weekend after the school fired Callahan.
“I?m only going to answer questions about the Army-Navy game,” Johnson said.
Johnson has also been mentioned as a candidate for the opening at Georgia Tech, which fired Chan Gailey despite winning at least seven games and going to a bowl game in each of his six seasons. Coincidentally, Johnson has averaged seven wins a season and Navy (8-4) is staring at its fifth straight bowl game.
Gladchuk said it is a sign of respect for Navy that Johnson consistently is mentioned as a replacement for openings at some of the biggest names in college football.
“This is the best job in the country,” Gladchuk said. “You have terrific support, you work with some of the finest men in the country and the chance to play big games at big venues with television and radio exposure that?s second to none. We have realistic expectations and the opportunity to succeed here at Navy.”
