BOISE, Idaho — Finally, Jon Tenuta is going to be heard.

After spending most of his coaching career cramped into a press box, talking through headsets, Tenuta will be the man in charge of Georgia Tech, when it faces Fresno State today in the Humanitarian Bowl.

"I've been making those calls for 27 years, I just haven't been the head coach," said Tenuta, the Yellow Jackets defensive coordinator and interim head coach. "When you're up in the press box you can say a lot of things but they don't hear you."

For now, it's the one and only shot for the fiery Tenuta to be a head coach. The interim tag will be replaced by a "help available" sign once today's game is done.

Former Navy coach Paul Johnson will fully take over Tech's program on Wednesday and there isn't a place on Johnson's new staff for Tenuta.

Unemployment, however, isn't likely to last long for Tenuta, the architect of an aggressive, attacking defense that led the country in sacks and was second in tackles-for-loss, and there are some high-profile coordinator jobs still available around the country.

Tenuta was named interim head coach after Chan Gailey was fired on Nov. 26, despite going 44-32 in his six seasons with the Yellow Jackets. His biggest transgression was an 0-6 record against Georgia. Tenuta was a candidate to get the job permanently, but instead gets a one-time deal. After today, as a head coach, Tenuta will either be perfect or winless.

"We really want to get this win," Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler said. "This will be like his first win as a head coach."

Johnson, a former University of Hawai'i offensive coordinator, has lingered around his new program since being hired on Dec. 7, but has made sure not to interfere with Tenuta's bowl preparations. Johnson stayed away from Boise for most of the week, but was expected to arrive in snowy Idaho last night and watch his new team from somewhere in Bronco Stadium today.

It'll be an opportunity for Johnson to scout and evaluate how Tech's current roster will fit with his coaching system, including his triple-option offense that was highly successful at Navy.

He could only wish Tashard Choice still had some eligibility left after today. Choice led the ACC in rushing, becoming the first conference back with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Thomas Jones at Virginia in 1998-99.

Choice finished with 1,310 yards despite missing all or part of three games with injuries.

"This will be a very demanding game on our defensive front," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "We don't see a lot of this type of offensive style."

Added Tenuta: "I'm not going to do anything dumb. I'm going to let (Choice) carry the ball."

Despite an extremely young team with just seven senior starters, Fresno State (8-4) started this season 1-2, but turned it around, winning seven of their final nine games. Fresno's only two conference losses were to Boise State and at Hawai'i.

"Three of our four losses were very, very tough losses, but we never really talked about it," Hill said.

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