ATLANTA — Head coach Paul Johnson's first coaching staff at Georgia Tech, which includes three of his assistant coaches from the Naval Academy, will be an experienced group. A former college head coach, three former or recent offensive or defensive coordinators and a former associate head coach make up the Yellow Jacket coaching staff for 2008.
Johnson, who was Navy's head coach for six seasons, named Dave Wommack defensive coordinator. Wommack, last year the outside linebackers coach at Southern Miss, has previously served as a defensive coordinator at Arkansas, Southern Miss, UNLV and Southwest Missouri State.
The remainder of the defensive staff will be filled by members of the 2007 Georgia Tech staff — defensive line coach Giff Smith, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and Charles Kelly, who will coach the cornerbacks in 2008 after serving as the Yellow Jackets’ special teams coordinator the last two years.
Brian Bohannon (Quarterbacks/B-backs coach), Todd Spencer (Co-offensive Line Coach) and Jeff Monken (Slot backs coach/special teams coordinator) were with Johnson for all six seasons at Navy. The Midshipmen led the nation in rushing for three consecutive years and never finished lower than third nationally in rushing during their tenures in Annapolis.
Mike Sewak, who served as Georgia Southern's head coach for four seasons after Johnson left Statesboro for Navy, will serve as co-offensive line coach.
Buzz Preston, who helped lead New Mexico to its first bowl victory since 1961, will coach the wide receivers.
“I am excited about the coaching staff that we have assembled,” Johnson said. “They are all tireless workers who will hit the ground running, with recruiting being our main focus at this time."
Bohannon, Spencer and Monken helped Johnson and Navy go 11-1 against the Service Academies during the past six seasons including a perfect 6-0 mark against rival Army. The Midshipmen, in 2007, averaged more than 348 yards rushing per game to lead the nation, and two Navy backs were ranked in the top 100 nationally in rushing.
Monken helped develop Navy into one of the nation's best special teams units. The Mids ranked sixth nationally in kick returns and 13th in punt returns. Navy returned two kick-offs for touchdowns in 2007.
Preston served last season as running backs coach at New Mexico, where the Lobos beat Nevada 23-0 in the New Mexico Bowl. In 2007, Preston coached New Mexico junior running back Rodney Ferguson, who earned first team All-Mountain West Conference honors for the second straight year after rushing for 1,177 yards and 13 touchdowns. Before working at New Mexico, Preston served as running backs coach at Stanford and Notre Dame.
Sewak went 35-14 in four seasons as Georgia Southern's head coach from 2002-05. Out of coaching for the past two years, Sewak guided the Eagles to the I-AA playoffs three times in his four seasons. Early in Sewak's coaching career, in 1984, he worked at Georgia Tech as a graduate assistant coach.
Smith and Jean-Mary hope to continue the success they enjoyed on defense at Georgia Tech the past four seasons when the Yellow Jackets ranked in the top 30 nationally in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense each year. In 2007, Tech ranked first nationally in sacks and second nationally in tackles-for-loss during the regular season.
Smith, who will also remain as Tech's recruiting coordinator, will serve on a Johnson-led coaching staff for the second time. He was an assistant coach at Georgia Southern under Johnson in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, the Eagles were the NCAA Division I-AA national runner-up. As recruiting coordinator, Smith helped Georgia Tech sign some of the nation's top recruiting classes.
Jean-Mary, who helped develop former Tech linebackers Gerris Wilkinson, KaMichael Hall and Philip Wheeler, has been at Tech since 2004.
Kelly, a former Auburn defensive back, moves over to defense after serving two years as special teams coordinator. In 2007, Tech ranked in the top five nationally in kickoff return yardage defense and in net punting. Senior punter Durant Brooks was the 2007 Ray Guy Award Winner and finished his career with the highest punting average in ACC history.
Wommack helped lead Southern Miss to an appearance in the 2007 Papajohns.com bowl after a 7-5 regular season. The Golden Eagles led Conference USA in scoring defense and ranked second or third in the league in total defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, pass defense and sacks. Prior to working at Southern Miss, Wommack served two seasons as an assistant coach at South Carolina.
Johnson, who was Navy's head coach for six seasons, named Dave Wommack defensive coordinator. Wommack, last year the outside linebackers coach at Southern Miss, has previously served as a defensive coordinator at Arkansas, Southern Miss, UNLV and Southwest Missouri State.
The remainder of the defensive staff will be filled by members of the 2007 Georgia Tech staff — defensive line coach Giff Smith, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and Charles Kelly, who will coach the cornerbacks in 2008 after serving as the Yellow Jackets’ special teams coordinator the last two years.
Brian Bohannon (Quarterbacks/B-backs coach), Todd Spencer (Co-offensive Line Coach) and Jeff Monken (Slot backs coach/special teams coordinator) were with Johnson for all six seasons at Navy. The Midshipmen led the nation in rushing for three consecutive years and never finished lower than third nationally in rushing during their tenures in Annapolis.
Mike Sewak, who served as Georgia Southern's head coach for four seasons after Johnson left Statesboro for Navy, will serve as co-offensive line coach.
Buzz Preston, who helped lead New Mexico to its first bowl victory since 1961, will coach the wide receivers.
“I am excited about the coaching staff that we have assembled,” Johnson said. “They are all tireless workers who will hit the ground running, with recruiting being our main focus at this time."
Bohannon, Spencer and Monken helped Johnson and Navy go 11-1 against the Service Academies during the past six seasons including a perfect 6-0 mark against rival Army. The Midshipmen, in 2007, averaged more than 348 yards rushing per game to lead the nation, and two Navy backs were ranked in the top 100 nationally in rushing.
Monken helped develop Navy into one of the nation's best special teams units. The Mids ranked sixth nationally in kick returns and 13th in punt returns. Navy returned two kick-offs for touchdowns in 2007.
Preston served last season as running backs coach at New Mexico, where the Lobos beat Nevada 23-0 in the New Mexico Bowl. In 2007, Preston coached New Mexico junior running back Rodney Ferguson, who earned first team All-Mountain West Conference honors for the second straight year after rushing for 1,177 yards and 13 touchdowns. Before working at New Mexico, Preston served as running backs coach at Stanford and Notre Dame.
Sewak went 35-14 in four seasons as Georgia Southern's head coach from 2002-05. Out of coaching for the past two years, Sewak guided the Eagles to the I-AA playoffs three times in his four seasons. Early in Sewak's coaching career, in 1984, he worked at Georgia Tech as a graduate assistant coach.
Smith and Jean-Mary hope to continue the success they enjoyed on defense at Georgia Tech the past four seasons when the Yellow Jackets ranked in the top 30 nationally in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense each year. In 2007, Tech ranked first nationally in sacks and second nationally in tackles-for-loss during the regular season.
Smith, who will also remain as Tech's recruiting coordinator, will serve on a Johnson-led coaching staff for the second time. He was an assistant coach at Georgia Southern under Johnson in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, the Eagles were the NCAA Division I-AA national runner-up. As recruiting coordinator, Smith helped Georgia Tech sign some of the nation's top recruiting classes.
Jean-Mary, who helped develop former Tech linebackers Gerris Wilkinson, KaMichael Hall and Philip Wheeler, has been at Tech since 2004.
Kelly, a former Auburn defensive back, moves over to defense after serving two years as special teams coordinator. In 2007, Tech ranked in the top five nationally in kickoff return yardage defense and in net punting. Senior punter Durant Brooks was the 2007 Ray Guy Award Winner and finished his career with the highest punting average in ACC history.
Wommack helped lead Southern Miss to an appearance in the 2007 Papajohns.com bowl after a 7-5 regular season. The Golden Eagles led Conference USA in scoring defense and ranked second or third in the league in total defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, pass defense and sacks. Prior to working at Southern Miss, Wommack served two seasons as an assistant coach at South Carolina.