"I got no respect for the guy": Former Georgia Tech HC Paul Johnson unloads on Geoff Collins for his failure at Yellow Jackets in explosive interview
Former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson unloads on Geoff Collins for his failure as the Yellow Jackets head coach.
Johnson was the coach of Georgia Tech from 2008-2018 and the school had plenty of success with him. He helped the Jackets to nine bowl appearances and three Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Games during his 11 seasons there.
However, after the 2018 season, Johnson announced his retirement and was replaced by Geoff Collins. Collins went 10-28 as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets and 0-2 against Georgia, losing by a combined score of 97-7.
On the Bill Shanks Radio Show, Paul Johnson blasted Geoff Collins for the lack of success he had at Georgia Tech:
"He just distorted everything when he got there, I will just call a spade a spade, I don't care, I got no respect for the guy, I can say what I want. He went in and distorted everything that was there and acted like we had not won a game and lied about who he inherited, lied about the offensive line, lied about us not going to the high schools in Georgia.
"He went and told a bunch of whoppers and it came back to get him because there was not much substance there," Johnson said (via SI).
"I probably should not say this, but I will, I have never been one to hold much back, but the opposing coaches in the league would call me and they were laughing," Johnson added.
"I had one particular coach who called me who had really pounded them at home in Atlanta and he told me, Paul it is a circus and he goes I told my kids after the game in the locker room, he said congratulations, you just beat a team that physically had kicked our ass for the last three years and he goes, I am just not saying that to you.
"When we got through with those games, he said it was hard for us to play the next week because of the physicality and the way you played," Johnson continued.
"I had another coach who called me late on Saturday night who just beaten them and he said I even lined up in your formation at the end just to stick it in. I think the people who knew, knew."
Paul Johnson was clearly not happy with Geoff Collins and how little success he had with Georgia Tech.
Where is Geoff Collins now?
After being fired by Georgia Tech after two seasons, Geoff Collins did not coach in 2023. However, Collins was hired this year to be the defensive coordinator for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
During his tenure with the Yellow Jackets, Collins finished with the worst winning percentage (.263) of any permanent head coach in the program's history.