Jimmy Johnson - A Determined Coach - A Winning Coach

By Rick Bedard

The NFL Dallas Cowboys are a fan favorite within the borders of Texas and well beyond. Over a span of more than forty years they have entertained and performed at a consistently high level. In addition to their great success on the field, “America’s Team” has been just as successful off the field and is considered to be one of the most valuable sports teams in North America. At the heart of the Cowboys’ great success are the individuals who have been a part of the organization both on and off the field.

Throughout its franchise history, the Dallas Cowboys have had a number of all-stars whose skills and achievements have created legends and contributed to Dallas Cowboys history. Endless players have donned the single star and blue and white jerseys of the Dallas Cowboys and taken to the field at Texas Stadium. In so doing, some of them, such as Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith have become legends.

Thanks to these players and countless others over the years, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most successful teams in the history of the National Football League and hold numerous league records. It is, however, not just the players that have contributed to the success of Cowboys football it is also those who walk the sidelines at each practice and game. Jimmy Johnson was one such man. Although Johnson’s tenure with the Cowboys was very brief (compared to his predecessor Tom Landry’s twenty-nine years as head coach) they were nonetheless very fruitful.

A Texas native, Johnson attended the University of Arkansas where he was an all-South West Conference defensive lineman. Following his playing days, Johnson began his coaching career in 1965 at Louisiana Tech. Over the next nineteen years Johnson held various coaching positions at a number of institutions including the University of Oklahoma (where he worked alongside Barry Switzer), University of Arkansas, University of Pittsburgh and five seasons at Oklahoma State University.

In 1984 Johnson was hired as head coach at the University of Miami, a team who in 1983 had won their first national championship. During his five-year tenure at the University of Miami, Johnson compiled a 52-9 record, took his team to five New Year’s Day bowl games, won one national championship (1987) and played for a second.

In 1989 Jerry Jones became owner of the Dallas Cowboys. He immediately replaced Tom Landry, the only head coach the Cowboys had ever known, with Jimmy Johnson his longtime friend and former University of Arkansas teammate. In Dallas, Johnson was also reunited with Michael Irvin who had been a standout at the University of Miami. Johnson’s first season as Dallas Cowboys coach didn’t get off to a great start as the team finished the season with a 1 and 15 record.

Johnson, however, knew what he was doing and in no time he was able to rebuild the team. He had a skill for finding talent in the draft that was helped in large part by Dallas’ trade of Herschel Walker (which led to six draft picks) and for signing quality players as free agents (in a time before the NFL imposed salary cap). Thanks to the talent he had amassed the Cowboys became a powerhouse winning two consecutive Super Bowl Champions (Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and Super Bowl XXVIII in 1993). Johnson became only the fourth man in NFL history to coach consecutive Super Bowl wins (the other men to do so being Vince Lombardi, Don Shula and Chuck Noll).

Despite the back-to-back Super Bowl wins, Johnson left the Cowboys in 1993. His departure was due in large part to his changing relationship with owner Jerry Jones. Although Johnson’s contract gave him complete control over player personnel, Jones himself wanted to take a more active role in regards to player selections. With Johnson having served as the Cowboys head coach from 1989 through 1993, the two men parted company. Following his departure Johnson was replaced by another University of Arkansas teammate, Barry Switzer. Two years after Johnson’s departure, and with Switzer at the helm, the Cowboys became Super Bowl Champions yet again. Although Johnson was gone he received a lot of the credit for the win, as he had been largely responsible for having put the team together.

Following his head coaching duties with the Dallas Cowboys, Jones turned to broadcasting for two years, working as a TV analyst for Fox Sports Network. He received an offer to be the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994 but passed on the opportunity. In 1996 he was back behind the bench as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Johnson replaced Miami’s legendary coach Don Shula who retired following the 1995 season.

As a defensive specialist it was hoped that Johnson would bring the Dolphins defense up to par with one of the NFL’s best offenses lead by quarterback Dan Marino. However, Johnson’s stay in Miami never quite lived up to expectations. A Super Bowl victory for Miami eluded both Johnson and Dan Marino. Johnson resigned in 2000 as head coach of the Dolphins with a 26-21 record. Following his years with the Dolphins, Johnson returned to TV where he again worked as a studio analyst for Fox Sports. Johnson is currently part of Fox Sports NFL pre-game show.

Jimmy Johnson has had a stellar coaching career. Indeed, he is the first football coach to have his teams win both a NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a Super Bowl. During his five years with the Dallas Cowboys, Johnson left his mark on the team and with his determination helped turn Cowboy stars into legends. Johnson will forever be a part of Dallas Cowboys history and a part of the history of the NFL.

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