Many insiders believe Johnson knew he was retiring all along and waited to the end
of summer to announce it in order to ensure that his staff would have jobs. "My first task is to make sure we keep our staff intact," said Caldwell. Vanderbilt is an incredibly tough place to win at for any coach as it is a private and highly academic institution competing in a power conference full of football factories. Johnson finished with a college football betting mark of 29-66 including 12-52 in the SEC but his teams were known for no longer being push overs and for fighting hard and being pesky. While Caldwell does inherit the best recruiting class of the Johnson era it is a long shot that he can survive past 2010. Vandy's online sportsbook numbers may inflate into making them something of a value, however, as few gamblers will want anything to do with them so oddsmakers will have to sweeten the pot to attract action.