Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Johnson details what he’s looking for in QBs
As FAU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the last 1 ½ months, Michael Johnson knows the Owls will need better offensive production in 2021 than they had last year.
Florida Atlantic finished No. 112 out of 127 FBS teams in total offense in 2020 and No. 115 in scoring.
But with 3 ½ weeks of spring camp ahead of them, Johnson says he isn’t looking to worry too much about the Owls’ previous offensive woes.
“I don’t really want to worry about statistics,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to worry about where they were last year. I want to be sound and coach the fundamental techniques at each position and try to do the skill better.
“We got to make sure we understand our scheme, understand what we’re trying to accomplish as an offense, what our identity is going to be — it’s about doing the parts better. If we do those things better, we’ll have a better offense.”
Unlike last year when the COVID19 pandemic canceled spring practices, the Owls will be able to use the next few weeks to further establish their identity in their second season under coach Willie Taggart.
And for a new coach such as Johnson, it’ll give him the opportunity to learn more about the players he’ll coach.
“I’m a firm believer in you build
your offense around your players,” Johnson said. “You have to go through spring to find out who your players are going to be, and you kind of build your identity and offense around that.
“When you try to have your players learn your scheme and not do what they do best, I think that’s where they struggle.”
As the quarterbacks coach, Johnson will be responsible for getting more out of that position after uneven play throughout 2020.
The Owls finished No. 117 in the nation in passing yards per game last season, with Nick Tronti (89-of-167 passing for 905 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions) and Javion Posey (33 of 63 for 395 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions) taking almost all of the quarterback snaps.
“We want to develop a good fundamental base,” Johnson said. “I’m talking about a fundamental skill set, a fundamental teaching for protections, fundamental teaching for the run game and just understand how to play that position and lead our team to a victory.
“Quarterback doesn’t always have to make all the plays, but they have to make enough plays, put us in a position to win and not hurt our team. At the end of the day, it’s not about statistics. It’s about helping the team win.”
One of the quarterbacks Johnson will coach is his son, Michael Johnson Jr., who’ll compete with Posey, Tronti and Willie Taggart Jr. for the starting role.
The elder Johnson said his son’s transfer to FAU didn’t significantly influence his decision to join the Owls.
“I don’t think that played as much into it as everyone thinks it did,” Johnson said. “I had worked with Coach Taggart back at Oregon, so I knew his offense, what he expects out of his offensive coordinator, and it’s just something that appealed to me.”
“Taggart and I stayed in contact, but there was really nothing about the job until after [Johnson Jr.] committed.”
Nonetheless, Johnson is excited to coach his son again, as he did when Johnson Jr. was a freshman and sophomore at The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale, Calif.
“He knows who I am as a coach,” Johnson said. “He knows that there’s a certain way you play the quarterback position. There’s a certain discipline to it.
“He knows I’m not going to let the quarterbacks throw the ball anywhere, so you’re going to have to be disciplined, learn how to get that ball out.
“That’s what we’re trying to do — understand how to go through our progressions in a timely manner and get that ball out as quickly as we can.”
The NBA on Wednesday announced the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa as selections for the 2021 Rising Stars All-Star game.
As a reward, they’ll get to stay home.
Despite electing to go without the game of elite first- and secondyear players, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the decision to limit All-Star Weekend to a singleday event on Sunday in Atlanta, the league continued with the format of assistant coaches selecting 10-player USA and World rosters.
Herro, the No. 14 pick in the 2019 draft out of Kentucky, had been selected to participate in last year’s Rising Stars in Chicago but was unable to compete. That means he now has the maximum amount of selections without ever appearing in the event.
Achiuwa, taken at No. 20 out of Memphis in the 2020 draft, becomes the third Heat rookie to be selected in the past two years, with Kendrick Nunn selected last year before being bypassed in his sophomore season.
This marks the fourth time the Heat had two players selected for the game. In addition to Nunn and Herro being selected last year, the Heat had Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as selections in both 2004 and 2005.
Other Heat players selected to participate in the event over the Heat’s 33 seasons were Khalid Reeves (1995), Kurt Thomas (1996), Caron Butler (2003), Michael Beasley (2008, ’09) and Norris Cole (2012).
In addition to Herro, the USA roster features New Orleans Pelican forward Zion Williamson, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton, Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter, San Antonio Spurs guard/forward Keldon Johnson, Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman.
Nunn failed to earn selection just months after finishing as runner-up to Morant for 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Selected to the Team World roster in addition to Achiuwa were Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Canada), Washington Wizards forwards Deni Avdija (Israel) and Rui Hachimura (Japan), New York Knicks guard/ forward RJ Barrett (Canada), Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo (Argentina), Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (Canada), Oklahoma City Thunder guards Luguentz Dort (Canada) and Théo Maledon (France) and Warriors guard Mychal Mulder (Canada), a former Heat G League prospect.
In the voting, assistant coaches selected four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at any position for each team. Voters selected a minimum of three first-year NBA players and three second-year NBA players for each team. The assistant coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team. Each of the league’s 30 teams submitted one ballot per coaching staff.
Butler travels
Jimmy Butler took flight with the Heat when they departed Wednesday for Thursday night’s nationally televised game against the Pelicans.
Butler continues to be listed as questionable with right knee inflammation, having missed the past two games. He last played in last Friday’s victory over the Utah Jazz at AmericanAirlines Arena.
If Butler misses Thursday’s game, he then would have another six days afterward to recover during the Heat’s weeklong All-Star break, the Heat’s schedule not to resume until a March 11 home game against the Orlando Magic. The Heat are expected to reconvene at AmericanAirlines Arena for practice on Tuesday evening.
The Heat have split a pair of home games against the Atlanta Hawks during Butler’s absence, 4-10 this season when he has not be available, compared to 13-8 when he has been in the lineup.