Wes Johnson discusses the impact of his family in deciding on accepting Georgia job

Wes Johnson is a family man. Thus, it was no surprise to hear the new Georgia baseball head coach discuss the importance of his family’s opinion in his decision to join the Bulldogs.

“I can only really do one thing, and that’s coach baseball, but I’m bad at a lot of stuff around our house,” Johnson joked during his introductory press conference. “I can cook a little bit. I can grill a bit, but that’s about it. So yeah, my family was extremely important when it came down to it.”

The strategy has worked out in the past for Johnson. The 51-year-old head coach joined Georgia this offseason after helping lead the LSU Tigers to their first College World Series title since 2009. Johnson was the pitching coach for the team.

In one season with the program, Johnson produced the best pitcher in the nation, Paul Skenes. Furthermore, he cultivated a loaded bullpen to support the Tigers’ star. Johnson’s success is well-earned.

Before coaching in Baton Rouge, Johnson was the first pitching coach in MLB history to go directly from the college ranks to the professionals when he was hired by the Minnesota Twins in November 2018. Johnson admitted his family is necessary for such significant life decisions because he can easily get lost in the grind.

“I am a bit of guy who just tries to put my head down and go to work and the phone rings, the phone rings, and and so forth,” Johnson said.

Johnson he answered the phone. Georgia gave Johnson a six-year contract, starting out at $700,000 a year. The veteran coach plans on earning every penny.

“We’re gonna do some things that have been done here in a while,” Johnson said. “I’m looking for people who, when they put [the Georgia jersey] on, they’re ready to go. They know that they’re not only representing themselves but the university and a great baseball program.”

Easier said than done. Georgia went 11-19 last season in conference play, finishing second from last in the SEC Standings. Moreover, the program hasn’t appeared in the the College World Series since 2008 and last won the CWS in 1990.

Georgia fans can only hope Johnson’s family once again made the right decision.

The post Wes Johnson discusses the impact of his family in deciding on accepting Georgia job appeared first on On3.