Johnson leaves for Gamecocks

BY TOM MURPHY

Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/214747/

FAYETTEVILLE — Ellis Johnson’s run as defensive coordinator at Arkansas lasted less than a month.

Johnson resigned Thursday to accept the defensive coordinator’s job at South Carolina.

Johnson, a native of Winnsboro, S. C., who spent the past four seasons as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State, interviewed for the same job at South Carolina earlier this winter. But Gamecocks Coach Steve Spurrier hired Brian VanGorder, the former Georgia assistant who was on Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino’s 2007 staff with the Atlanta Falcons. When new Falcons Coach Mike Smith hired VanGorder to coordinate his defense Thursday, Spurrier was immediately back in touch with Johnson on Thursday morning.

Spurrier announced the hiring of Johnson to a three-year deal on a teleconference.

“You might have said, ‘Why didn’t you hire [Johnson ] the first time ?’” Spurrier said. “The answer is I should have. I really should have.

“ I think he’ll tell you he sort of had a goal to come back to South Carolina. It’s happening now. Pardon one of those NFL expressions, at the end of the day hopefully everyone’s happy. Arkansas may not be too happy right now. I think we really got a top-notch defensive coordinator, one of the best in the country.”

Johnson told reporters on the teleconference he had not yet signed a contract with Arkansas, but that he had put in a contract on a house in Fayetteville.

“There’s a painter in the house as we speak that we’ve got to go stop,” Johnson said. “Caroline [Johnson’s wife ] had made some strides in moving to Fayetteville and moving our family here.”

Johnson, 56, spoke of his ties to South Carolina in an interview Jan. 9, saying “I had an opportunity to talk to Coach Spurrier. That was home. I would have liked to have gone there for many personal reasons. But this [Arkansas ] program, certainly the traditions and the accomplishments and the history of it, exceeds that program.”

Johnson had agreed to a threeyear deal worth $ 350, 000 per season at Arkansas and is likely to be paid in the same range at South Carolina. His resignation came 13 days before national signing day, Feb. 6.

“It’s a delicate time of the year with recruiting, but it’s the nature of our business now,” Johnson said on the South Carolina conference call. “I’m sure the situation that turned around at South Carolina was one that was unavoidable, and I think Arkansas understands this one is, too.

“ It’s just part of the coaching business with the timing of recruiting coming at the same time as most coaching changes. We just deal with these things. I think all schools will be fine and everybody will end up in the right place.”

Spurrier said he spoke with Petrino on Thursday morning.

“[Petrino ] understood,” Spurrier said. “He said, ‘I’ll talk to Ellis also and go from there.’”

In a statement released through UA’s athletic media relations office, Petrino said he understood why Johnson is headed to South Carolina.

“I spoke with Coach Johnson this morning and he felt like this is the best decision for his family,” Petrino said. “I certainly understand that. He and his wife are both from South Carolina and many of their relatives still reside in the state. I wish Coach Johnson and his family the best. We will now move forward in hiring a defensive coordinator.”

There was no immediate word on whom Petrino might be considering to fill the defensive coordinator’s role.

Johnson left Mississippi State on Dec. 31, two days after the Bulldogs beat Central Florida 10-3 in the Liberty Bowl. He was officially announced at Arkansas on Jan. 4.

“I was blessed with opportunities at two great universities, two great Southeastern Conference football programs with two proven and accomplished head coaches,” Johnson said in a news release. “South Carolina is home to me and to my wife, as well as much of our family.

“ I have 16 years in the state retirement system there and it was something that we were always looking toward in the later stages of my career. It was an extremely difficult decision and the timing is unfortunate. However, I feel that it was the right decision for my family. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity Coach Petrino gave me to be a part of the Razorback program.”