Summary of the past few days: PJ

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Latest on PJ
Things are clearly moving hot and heavy with regard to Navy head coach Paul Johnson and vacancies at a variety of schools.
Since this is a blog posting and not a newspaper article, I will simply say the information reported here has been compiled from multiple sources in Annapolis, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham and Atlanta and various points in between.
Simply put, I have spent nearly every waking hour of the past three days trying to track Johnson's movements and figure out what schools seem legitimately interested in securing his services.
First and foremost, the latest news is that Johnson flew to Dallas today to take a first-hand look at the SMU facilities and to meet with various movers and shakers. It is believed that SMU athletic director Steve Orsini sent a plane to Thurgood Marshall Airport last night for the purpose of picking up Johnson.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported today that Duke athletic director Joe Alleva met with Johnson on Monday, presumably somewhere in the greater Baltimore-Annapolis area. The Capital has confirmed the essence of that information, although earlier reports that Duke was set to make Johnson a formal offer seem a bit premature. Both sides seem to be going through a mutual feeling out process.
Finally, The Capital reported on Sunday that Johnson would fly to Atlanta to meet with his agent Jack Reale. It has since been confirmed through multiple sources that Johnson met with Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich while he was in Atlanta.
Based on the latest information, here is what we know about each of the potential suitors:
NEBRASKA: Hired LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini without formally interviewing Johnson. There may have been some contact between Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne and Reale, but ultimately the only candidates known to have interviewed were Pelini, Buffalo head coach Turner Gill and Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe.
DUKE: Alleva and school president Richard Brodhead are believed to have made Johnson the school's top target and were waiting until after the Army-Navy game to speak with him.
Perhaps the biggest question mark involving Duke is how serious the school is committed to supporting football and whether administrators such as Alleva and Brodhead will truly do what is necessary to win.
Johnson no doubt asked these questions and gave Alleva his thoughts on what needed to be done. My guess is that both sides are digesting the information that resulted from Monday's discussion and will talk again this week.
GEORGIA TECH: Johnson is one of many reported candidates on the radar of Radakovich, who has already interviewed Connecticut's Randy Edsall, Georgia Southern's Chris Hatcher and Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta is also in the mix. It's unclear whether Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is a candidate.
It's anyone's guess as to where this coaching search is going because no one knows for sure what Georgia Tech is looking for. Edsall announced on Monday that he would remain at Connecticut. Hatcher is a young, energetic 34-year-old who enjoyed enormous success at Division II Valdosta State and did a good job in his first year at Georgia Southern. He is alleged to be an innovative offensive mind who does a good job of developing quarterbacks. Muschamp fits the mold of a coach who would market well in the greater Atlanta area and help sell tickets.
Based on what I have heard from numerous sources close to the Georgia Tech program, I would think there must be some hesitation on the part of Radakovich with hiring a coach who will run a pure triple-option offense.
SMU: There is no doubt any longer that Johnson is the top target of SMU and Orsini seems intent on doing whatever it takes to land him. Orsini is a football guy and he seems bound and determined to hire a proven head coach who will transform the Mustangs into a winner in Conference USA.
Orsini has reportedly raised $10 million from various donations for the purpose of hiring a high-profile head coach. By all accounts, the current facilities are top-notch and it seems clear the administration will provide whatever support and resources are necessary to get the job done.
Working against SMU is the perception that it would be a lateral move (if not a step backwards) from Navy. My personal belief has been that Johnson would only leave the academy for a Bowl Championship Series school and I would be stunned if he left to coach in Conference USA.

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