Smart: Jay Johnson brings experienced voice to offensive meeting room

The more input, the better.

That’s how Georgia head coach Kirby Smart views his coaching staff, which added a quality control coach this offseason with a substantial resume.

Smart was asked about the recent addition of offensive assistant Jay Johnson, who spent the 2016 season as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator. With the Golden Gophers, Johnson’s group finished the 2016 season fourth in the Big Ten with 29.3 points but 11th in the conference with 357.2 total yards per game.

Johnson hit the coaching free agency ranks, however, after his boss, former Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys, was fired for supporting his players’ protest over the suspensions of 10 football players under university investigation for an alleged sexual assault.

Not retained by new Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, Johnson ended up at Georgia.

“That was a really good position hire because he’s been a really good asset for us from a quality control standpoint, decision-making, offensive game plan,” Smart said. “I think any time, as an offensive coordinator, you get assistants to help, it helps.”

Johnson’s connection to the Georgia staff came from a prior working relationship with offensive line coach Sam Pittman. Smart said he was familiar of Johnson back when he served as a tight ends coach (2003), running backs coach (2004) and offensive coordinator (2005-07) at Southern Mississippi, although Smart didn't know Johnson on a personal level.

Johnson has also held position coaching jobs at Kansas, Louisville and Central Michigan. From 2011-15, Johnson was the offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Since he’s a quality control coach and not an on-field assistant with Georgia, Johnson is mostly working behind the scenes. But having an additional voice of someone who was once an offensive coordinator is something Smart is happy to have.

“It’s like me with the defense,” Smart said. “I’m not the defensive coordinator. I don’t call the defense but I help (defensive coordinator) Mel (Tucker) out with ideas. (The offensive coaches) didn’t get that person last year that would help with those ideas. I think bringing new ideas and new energy over there, it helps.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Smart: Jay Johnson brings experienced voice to offensive meeting room ."