Bobby Johnson

College coach infobox
Name = Bobby Johnson

---

Caption = Bobby Johnson on the sideline of the 2007 Auburn game.
DateOfBirth =
Birthplace = Columbia, South Carolina
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College = Vanderbilt
Title = Head Coach
CurrentRecord = 25–50
OverallRecord = 85–86
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID = 2660
Player = Y
Years = 1969–72
Team = Clemson University
Position = Wide receiver & Cornerback
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 2002–"present"
1994–2001
1993
1983–1992
1981–1983
1980
1977–1979
1976
CoachTeams = Vanderbilt University
Furman University
Clemson University
- Defensive Coordinator
Furman University
- Defensive Coordinator
Furman University
- Defensive Backs Coach
Clemson University
- Athletic Academic Counselor
Furman University
- Defensive Backs Coach
Furman University
- Defensive Ends Coach
FootballHOF =

Bobby Johnson (born in Columbia, South Carolina) is the head football coach at Vanderbilt University. He became the Commodores' coach in December 2001 after leading Furman University to the Division I-AA national championship game. Johnson's first head coaching job was at Furman, which hired him in 1994. Previously, he had been defensive coordinator at Clemson University. On September 4, 2008 he led Vanderbilt to their first victory at home over a ranked opponent in over 10 years with a 24-17 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. It was their second victory in as many years over a ranked Gamecock team. Also, after beating Ole Miss in 2008 under Coach Johnson, the Commodores were ranked in the AP top 25 poll for the first time in 24 years at number 21.

On October 4, 2008, the Commodores defeated then-#13-ranked Auburn 14–13, giving Vanderbilt their first 5–0 star since 1945. [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=282780238|Adams comes off bench to guide unbeaten Vandy past Auburn| publisher=Associated Press| date=2008-10-04| accessdate=2008-10-07]

tudent-athlete

As a player at Clemson, Johnson was a three-year letterman and led the team in interceptions playing cornerback in 1971 and 1972. Johnson is a 1973 graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in management and received his master’s degree in education from Furman in 1979.

Transition to Vanderbilt

After a successful stint at Furman, Bobby Johnson was hired on at Vanderbilt University to take the helm of an SEC squad. Many questioned the administration's loyalty to Coach Johnson after three consecutive 2-9 seasons, but Vanderbilt's loyalty paid off. POV-statement|date=December 2007 Coach Johnson, along with Vanderbilt's Chancellor Gee and Vice Chancellor Williams, had been an instrumental part of a new culture at Vanderbilt. The Athletic Department was abolished—a first among universities in a Division I athletic conference.Fact|date=February 2007 Bobby Johnson publicly committed himself to a vision of the "student-athlete"—not just an athlete.

Recent success

2005 Campaign
In Johnson's fourth season, the Commodores finished 5-6 and defeated in-state rival Tennessee in Knoxville for the first time since 1975. Jay Cutler, the team's offensive captain that season, was drafted #11 overall by the Denver Broncos and named as starting quarterback during his rookie season.
2006 Campaign
In the 2006 season, Vanderbilt fell to 4-8 after the loss of Cutler, but did beat Georgia at Sanford Stadium. In addition, Vanderbilt lost games to Ole Miss, Alabama, SEC West champion Arkansas, and eventual national champion Florida by a touchdown or less—an impressive feat for a team normally considered a "gimme win" by SEC teams. After eight games "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" college football writer Tony Barnhart stated that Johnson "deserves some consideration" for SEC Coach of the Year, albeit based on a misstated record of 4-5 instead of 3-5. cite web
url=http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/cfb/entries/2006/10/31/coaches_jobs_in.html
accessdate=2006-12-06
title=Coaches jobs in question
date=2006-10-31
publisher="Atlanta Journal-Constitution"]

Barnhart's 2006 postseason survey of ten former SEC coaches ranked the Vanderbilt job the least attractive in the SEC. Former Ole Miss coach Billy Brewer summarized Johnson's performance: "The tough thing about the Vanderbilt job is that you can improve a lot from year to year and still finish last in the SEC East. For what he has, I think Bobby Johnson does a heck of a coaching job."cite web
url=http://www.ajc.com/uga/content/sports/stories/2006/12/12/1213secjobs.html
title=Barnhart: Best and worst SEC jobs
date=2006-12-13
accessdate=2006-12-13
publisher="Atlanta Journal-Constitution" ]
2007 Campaign
Johnson again led the Commodores to success in 2007, with SEC conference wins over Mississippi and South Carolina, ranked No. 6 at the time of the contest. Standing with a 5-5 record, the Commodores then squandered a 24-9 third-quarter lead against in-state rival Tennessee, losing 25-24 after a 49-yard Bryant Hahnfeldt field goal attempt that would have won the game glanced off the left upright. Concluding the season with an uninspired effort versus Wake Forest, Vanderbilt finished 5-7 and one win short of bowl eligibility.
2008 Campaign
Vanderbilt started the 2008 season on a 5-0 run under Coach Johnson, including SEC wins at home against South Carolina and Auburn, and an SEC road win at Ole Miss. Vanderbilt's fifth game, an October 4th matchup against Auburn, was historic for the Commodores for many reasons. Aside from being Vanderbilt's first game as a ranked team in many years, it was ESPN College Gameday's first ever appearance in Nashville, and the 14-13 win gave Vanderbilt its first 5-0 start since the WWII-shortened 1943 season.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Furman Paladins
startyear = 1994
conf = SoCon
endyear = 2001CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1994
name = Furman
overall = 3–8
conference = 2–6
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1995
name = Furman
overall = 6–5
conference = 5–3
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1996
name = Furman
overall = 9–4
conference = 6–2
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1997
name = Furman
overall = 7–4
conference = 5–3
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1998
name = Furman
overall = 5–6
conference = 3–5
confstanding = T–6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1999
name = Furman
overall = 9–3
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2000
name = Furman
overall = 9–3
conference = 6–2
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2001
name = Furman
overall = 12–3
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname =
bowloutcome = L 6–13 vs. Montana in Div. I-AA title game
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=Furman
overall=60–36
confrecord=41-23CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Vanderbilt Commodores
startyear = 2002
conf = SEC
endyear = presentCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2002
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 2–10
conference = 0–8
confstanding = 6th (East)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2003
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 2–10
conference = 1–7
confstanding = 5th (East)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2004
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 2–9
conference = 1–7
confstanding = 6th (East)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2005
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 5–6
conference = 3–5
confstanding = 5th (East)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2006
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 4–8
conference = 1–7
confstanding = 6th (East)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2007
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 5–7
conference = 2–6
confstanding = 6th (East)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2008
name = Vanderbilt
overall = 5–0
conference = 3–0
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = 14 (as of 10-05-08)
ranking2 = 13 (as of 10-05-08)CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=Vanderbilt
overall=25–50
confrecord=11–40CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 85–86
conference = 52–63
bcs = no
poll = two
polltype =

References

External links

* [http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/johnson_bobby00.html Official biography at Vanderbilt]