Georgia Tech Football: Reports - Paul Johnson Contract Extension Being Discussed

It's a time of year where contract discussions between schools and coaches are pretty common, with seasons taking shape on how they'll finish up and a lot of recruiting right around the corner. Friday evening, the AJC's Ken Sugiura posted a story claiming that Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson are in negotiations, discussing a potential contract extension, according to one of Johnson's legal representatives.

"We’re in discussions," Atlanta-based attorney Jack Reale told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday. "We’ll see where they go."

Johnson's current contract runs through the 2016 season. According to USA Today, Johnson will make just short of $2.6 million this year, good for 5th in the ACC and 37th nationally among public schools (whose records are public).

The discussion is an interesting one, as prior to this season, Yellow Jacket fans were becoming restless with a team that had seemed to even off at 7 wins per year in the time since the conference championship in 2009, including a 1-3 record in Bowls. However, with this year's 9-2 record and wins over Miami, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, the fan base has been reinvigorated, creating an atmosphere around the program that hasn't been there for years. The student body is behind the team, and it's clear that there's a mutual support there.

What will be interesting to see is whether Johnson can keep the team rolling with a tough schedule ahead next year that includes a trip to Notre Dame and a match up with Florida State. If they have similar levels of success next year, the program will have built up a momentum to could make the rest of the decade an exciting one for Georgia Tech fans.

Happy about a potential contract extension for Paul Johnson? Has he earned it this year, or would you have waited until future years?