“Bring that trophy in here!”
On a sweltering, shocking summer afternoon in Nashville, Vice Chancellor David Williams motioned for a symbol of just how far Vanderbilt football had progressed under the leadership of head coach Bobby Johnson.
“Bring that trophy on out here!”
The honorable statue commemorating the Commodores’ 16-14 victory in the 2009 Music City Bowl soon became the dominant figure in the room, with the potently bright lights from the plentiful television cameras reflecting off the silver football at the top of the trophy. Behind this emblematic display — and out of the spotlight for just a moment — was Johnson, whose face lit up with a soft smile and proud gaze as the trophy was paraded to the front of the podium.
“We love Bobby Johnson,” Williams said. “As I’ve said many times, Bobby Johnson is my football coach. My only regret is that my son doesn’t play football so he can’t have a coach named Bobby Johnson.”
After eight seasons, an SEC Co-Coach of the Year Award and leading the Commodores to their first postseason victory in 53 years, Johnson, 59, has decided to retire from coaching collegiate football effective at the end of July. He will not coach in the 2010 season.
“Obviously, this was a very tough decision, one with which my wife Catherine and I struggled,” Johnson said. “But I want to make it perfectly clear that this was a personal decision and it’s about what we want to do with our lives, and it doesn’t only have to do with Vanderbilt football.”
His decision was a surprise to many at the McGugin Athletic Center, and Williams was no exception.
“I was shocked,” Williams said. “I did try to talk Bobby out of it…But I think he’s gone through this, and as he said to you, it’s a personal decision. We at Vanderbilt Athletics, while we wish it wasn’t that decision, will respect that decision.”
Johnson ends his tenure at Vanderbilt with a career record of 29-66, tied for the fourth most wins in Commodore football history. However, Johnson believes his greatest victories as Vanderbilt’s coach came off the field.
“Most of all, I want to thank the hundreds of young men who accepted the challenge of pursuing one of the greatest educations in the country and, at the same time, competing in the best football conference in college football,” he said. “I’m proud of some of our accomplishments, but I’m more proud about the type of young man we have when he leaves this program.
“In my opinion, a coach could not ask for any more from his players.”
Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was named Johnson’s successor, earning the title of interim head coach for the 2010 season. Caldwell, too, was caught off-guard by Johnson’s decision, as he learned just hours before the retirement press conference of his impending promotion.
“This is a sad day, yet a happy time for me, obviously,” Caldwell said. “College football is losing a great man today…He’s made a lot of history and hopefully my first act is to make sure we keep our staff intact, because he’s assembled a great group of people.”
Standing behind the trophy, Caldwell was later asked if he felt he was ready to succeed as Vanderbilt’s head coach. That’s when Johnson, for one last time, stepped back into the spotlight.
“He’s ready,” Johnson said. “He’s ready.”