Wes Johnson explains the balance of taking over at Georgia, finishing out season at LSU

Wes Johnson was officially introduced as the Georgia head coach on Tuesday but his 2023 season is not quite over. He still has a trip to Omaha on the calendar, with LSU facing off against Tennessee on Saturday night. There has been a balance of the two jobs over the past week, wanting to be there fully for both the Bulldogs and Tigers.

During his introductory press conference, Johnson explained how an average day has looked since accepting the UGA job. He began by working on game prep for LSU, still making his current team his top priority.

“I wake up really early, I go to bed really late, and I drink a lot of caffeine in the middle,” Johnson joked. “But I actually sat down and wrote out my days how I need to. I’m trying to lead those young men to a national title. From roughly five to eight, I was doing LSU game prep. Getting ready, getting our day ready. Breaking down film of other teams and so forth.”

Once getting his scouting report in, it was time to think about his future. Getting connected with players currently on the Georgia roster is something he called a “priority.” Not rushing through them is important as well, even if there are a ton of guys to get through.

“Then, I would take that window from roughly eight to noon and I was calling a lot of our players,” Johnson said. “That was my first priority. I wanted to get in there and talk to all of them. That takes time. Those phone conversations aren’t quick. Those things will last you a good 30 minutes. I want to ask them questions, I want to get to know them. Then, we would start practice again until around four (for LSU).”

Johnson then wrapped up his routine wearing a Georgia hat, calling players and recruits at night. Some long days have occurred but Johnson understands that’s what he signed up for.

“Then you’re coming back home and you’re back on the phone again. Then you’re looking at rosters and then you’re looking at recruits,” Johnson said. “Go to bed at midnight, get up, and do it again. That’s just the way it is.”

LSU has a great chance of winning a national championship, with Johnson’s work with pitcher Paul Skenes being a great reason. The minute his time at the College World Series is up, win or lose, you can bet Johnson is heading back to Athens as soon as possible.