Comments about ‘Doug Robinson: Utah Utes football: 'The Kid' Brian Johnson is at the controls of Utes' offense’

As a Ute fan I understand the comment by Duckhunter, and I would expect some growing pains with any new offensive coordinator. However, this is a bold move by Whitt, and one that could have a great payoff in the end. Contrary to what Ducky says, however, I think this year's Utes will be stronger at every position that Doman's cougars were last year, with the possible exception of the tackle position. This will be offset by a clearly much tougher schedule, particularly at the end of the season than Doman had to deal with.

As pointed out in the article, what may a bigger difference is Johnson's readiness for the job as compared to Doman's. I have no knowledge how involved Doman was in BYUs game planning and execution prior to his being elevated to OC. Johnson, however, has been intimately involved in this aspect since the 2006 season when he spent the entire year in the coaching box with Ludwig while rehabbing his knee injury. Continuing on through his entire playing career and coaching time. That's plenty of time to learn the job.

I wasn't thrilled about hiring an inexperienced coach.

You can gain experience not talent. If he is as talented as Kyle believes he is then I'm looking forward to seeing him grow into a legit PAC-12 offensive coordinator.

Go luck Brian!!

I have no doubts Brian Johnson will be successful as Utah's OC. I think instead the question will become how long can Utah hold on to him before another school wants him as their head coach? At only 25 years of age, he may yet become the youngest head coach in FBS history, which I predict he will do before the age of 30. Current holder of that title is Matt Campbell of Toledo (32).

@stg

Doman was the qb coach at BYU for 6 years before assuming the offensive coordinator position. That was after his 3 year NFL career. He was older, more experienced and much more qualified in any unit of measurement you would care to apply to the two of them.

That said, my point is not whether or not brian johnson will ever be a good coordinator, as I tell you deluded utah "fans" ad naseum none of us knows how any of it will turn out. My point as always is exposing utah "fan" hypocrisy, and we have it here in spades. It is extremely funny, and fun, for me to do this. Go ahead and go back and read the comments from utah "fans" from before last season when Doman got the promotion. Then come on back and we can have a conversation.

"[Brian Johnson] was a great QB..."

Brian is a class act, a tough competitor, and a good QB for Utah's greatest season ever, but he fell far short of being a great quarterback.

QB Ratings:
2004 - 124.42 (59th)
2005 - 151.01 (11th)
2007 - 129.61 (54th)
2008 - 149.43 (16th)
Lifetime - 138.62

- a two star recruit coming out of high school. Johnson was recruited by Utah, Illinois and Louisiana Tech.
- not a serious contender for any national individual awards
- undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, he was invited to the Green Bay Packers rookie mini-camp along with Tulsa quarterback David Johnson; he was not subsequently signed by an NFL team

Not a knock on Brian's potential coaching abilities, but let's not get carried away with a QB who was roundly criticized by Utah fans for nearly costing the Utes games at Air Force and at New Mexico in 2008 because of his ineffective quarterback play.

My first reaction to the hire was " is Kyle out of his mind?" I didn't know Brian was calling his own plays in the Alabama game. If you're out-coaching Nick Sabin, maybe you are ready for the OC position.

@duckhunter

You posted "This kid has less experience on every single level Doman had, and less talent.”

Really?. Let's compare the two.

Johnson was a three year starter at the University of Utah; Doman was a two year starter at BYU.
Advantage Johnson.

Johnson was 2-0 in bowl games (2007 Poinsettia Bowl victory over Navy and 2008 Sugar Bowl victory over former #1 Alabama); Doman was 0-1 (a 10-28 loss to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl).
Advantage Johnson.

Johnson was a two-time bowl MVP (2007 Poinsettia Bowl and 2008 Sugar Bowl MVP); Doman earned no MVP honors during his playing career.
Advantage Johnson.

In Johnson's best year, he led Utah to an undefeated 13-0 season and a final ranking of #2; in Doman's best year he led BYU to a 12-3 season, ending the season unranked.
Advantage Johnson.

And as to comparing talent, as the article states, Johnson did much of his own play-calling. Doman, to my understanding, did not.

When you make unsubstantiated comments like the one you did above at the beginning of my post, you'll have to admit it ruins your credibility.

..and Cougar fan still has the courage to comment on a Utah article.

Worry about your team beating a team that matters first, or better yet, worry about your team not quitiing half way through the game.

Rockwell:

Thanks for breaking down the stats, but they don't measure the intangible qualities BJ has in adundance--heart, character and instinct. St. Heaps had all the stats, but the Y has nothing to show for it.

The Utes have Chris B and the Cougars have Duckhunter. I'm sure that both groups would prefer that neither represent them to the media. But then, that's free speech, right?

I'll go along with the other rational Cougar fans like the Bigsamoan and CougFaninTX and wish Brian the best. There is an interesting parallel between him and Doman - both overachievin winners as quarterbacks with excellent football minds. Some of the best coaches in all sports have been those who as players had to use their hearts and heads to make up for physical lacks. Neither of these to was the prototypical 6'5" 220 lb with a cannon for an arm, but they both won.

Like DH says, Doman totally has more talent. Way more. Not even close.

I am sure glad some critics on this board of BJ's hire where not around when other individuals were selected for big assignments: How about:

George Washington
Lawrence of Arabia
Frank Kush of ASU
LaVelle Edwards of BYU
Urban Meyer

The list goes on and on. Most every critic at the time thought that the list of men above were too young and inexperienced to carry out the job in front of them. Those who hired them saw the "intangibles" that make for winners. Whitt sees this in BJ. It will all play out and I believe it will work out to be a great decision.

As a BYU fan, I wish this guy luck. It could be brutal for a while so I hope they have the faith to stick with him when he makes mistakes, which he will. The racial taunts story is really disappointing and shows that we still have a ways to go before people look past color. Good on BJ for reacting with calm and poise. I'm not sure I would have done the same (but then again I'm not on TV every week either).

The comparisons to Doman are laughable and so is the hype for a 'rookie' OC that was found on a 'nation wide' search. And let's not forget the 'uh?' factor when this was all announced a while back.

The only people going 'uh' were countless Ute fans. The rest of us just laughed and thought how ironic for the Utes to get a nationally recognized OC (not) after Chow was hoorahed into town and leaves one year later.

Ducky and Rockwell exposed this correctly.

Well stated, Dutchman. Intangibles can be measured only through performance. There was a reason why all those on your list were selected, but it was hardly based on long experience in the job.

@gored

Despite the actual falsehoods in your post little of what you wrote is even relevent to what I posted. You got Doman's win/loss record wrong, on purpose would be my guess. You failed to show how going undrafted and being cut within a week from th nfl gives "more" NFL experience than actually having a multi year career in the NFL. You failed to show how a couple of very bad years as a qb coach, where the qb's you coached actually got worse, is better than several years as a qb coach where both of the qb's you mentored played in the nfl. Basicly nothing you posted had anything at all to do with the two individuals coaching experience in which Doman is so far above johnson that it isn't even comparable. Nice try at pretending that audibling some plays in a bowl game somehow makes a guy o.c. material.

LOL!

"You failed to show how a couple of very bad years as a qb coach, where the qb's you coached actually got worse, is better than several years as a qb coach where both of the qb's you mentored played in the nfl."

Again with the lies. I could repost all statistical evidence that proves otherwise, but Duckhunter already "knows" better.
"LOL!"

@duckhunter

Hey, take it easy, man! There was nothing false about my response to your post. What I wrote was a rebuttal to your assertion that Johnson has less experience and talent. And I used facts to support this, something you rarely, if ever, use in your rants. How was Doman's 12-3 record during his best year false? BYU went 12-2, then lost their bowl game, making it 12-3.

And you state "Nice try at pretending that audibling some plays in a bowl game somehow makes a guy o.c. material." Anyone who has played football and understands the quarterback position will acknowledge that the ability to audible successfully at the line of scrimmage is a sign of an outstanding quarterback and leader. A little NFL lesson for you: Have you ever watched Peyton Manning? One of the reasons he's been so good is his ability to change a play call at the line of scrimmage. While I don't remember Doman ever doing this much as a player, Johnson thrived on this, basically leading the Utes back in key games such as against TCU and Oregon State.

Try being rational in your posts.

gored

"Anyone who has played football and understands the quarterback position will acknowledge that the ability to audible successfully at the line of scrimmage is a sign of an outstanding quarterback and leader"

Unfortunately for U, a lifetime QB effeciency rating of 138.62 PROVES that Brian wasn't all that successful at audibling.

Max Hall had a better QB rating in 2008, his junior year, than Brian Johnson had his senior year.

Max actually made an NFL roster and actually played some real games in the NFL. Not a great deal of success, but head-and-shoulders better than a player was undrafted and cut in training camp.

@gored

You need to go look up BYU's record Doman's senior year, if you aren't intentionally getting it wrong then you just don't bother to research before you post.

As far as audibling is concerned, ALL qb's audible, it is part of being a qb. That doesn't make all of them O.C. material. Of course Doman didn't need to audible much because they were averaging 50 ppg that year, things were working just fine as is.

And yes johnson has less coaching experience and less athletic talent than Doman. I will give you that johnson started more years at qb than Doman but Doman played more years than johnson, that is what going to the NFL does for a guy. So Doman has more experience, on more levels as player than johnson and Doman has more experience as a coach. Not even very close to be honest with you. And the qb's Doman has coached have indisputably had far more success than any of the qb's johnson has coached.