Former Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson Joins the College Football Playoff Committee

Former Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson has returned to football. Sort of.

The retired skipper was voted in as a unanimous choice to replace Archie Manning on the NCAA's College Football Playoff Committee on March 25th. The soft-spoken, white-haired coach was the first man to bring Vandy to a bowl game since 1982. He led the first Commodore team to win a postseason game since 1955 when he beat Boston College in the Music City Bowl - a contest in which the team's punter was named MVP.

Johnson abruptly retired from coaching in the summer 2010, leaving the team to slap the interim tag on Robbie Caldwell. He's stayed out of the headlines since then before joining three other former coaches on the 12-person playoff committee this week. He'll be tasked with determining the top four teams in the nation when December rolls around.

"I have tremendous respect for the selection committee and I am honored to join the group," said Johnson. "As a former player and coach, I’m particularly happy about the opportunity to continue to serve the game."

Johnson joins a group that includes former Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, and former Air Force Academy Superintendent Mike Gould.