Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)

James William Johnson (born July 16, 1943) is an American football broadcaster and former player, coach, and executive. He served as the head football coach at Oklahoma State University from 1979 to 1983 and the University of Miami from 1984 to 1988. Johnson then moved to the National Football League (NFL), serving as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1993, winning two Super Bowls with the team, and finally serving as head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1996 to 1999. As of 2016, he is an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show for the NFL games. On January 12, 2020, it was announced that he would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[1] Johnson and fellow coach-turned-analyst Bill Cowher are the only two coaches to be inducted for what is called the "Centennial Class", commemorating the NFL's 100th anniversary.

Jimmy Johnson
Johnson in 2009
Personal information
Born: (1943-07-16) July 16, 1943
Port Arthur, Texas
Career information
High school:Thomas Jefferson
(Port Arthur, Texas)
College:Arkansas
Undrafted:1965
Career history
As coach:
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

As player:

Career coaching statistics
NFL win–loss record:80–64
Postseason record:9–4
NCAA win–loss record:81–34–3

Johnson was the first of three football coaches to lead teams to both a major college football championship and a Super Bowl victory, the others being Barry Switzer and Pete Carroll.

Johnson's coaching tree includes a number of future head coaches such as Butch Davis, Norv Turner, Tommy Tuberville, Dave Campo, and Dave Wannstedt. In 1993, Johnson wrote Turning the Thing Around: My Life in Football, ghostwritten by Ed Hinton. Johnson attended Thomas Jefferson High School, later renamed Memorial High School, where two of his classmates were future rock icon Janis Joplin and actor G. W. Bailey.[2]

Johnson attended college at the University of Arkansas and played on the Arkansas Razorbacks football team, where he was an all-Southwest Conference defensive lineman for coach Frank Broyles and a teammate of future Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Other teammates included Ken Hatfield, Jim Lindsey, Ronnie Caveness, and Loyd Phillips. Several future head coaches were assistant coaches for Broyles and the Razorbacks during Johnson's career in Fayetteville: Hayden Fry, Johnny Majors, and Barry Switzer. The 1964 Razorbacks squad went undefeated and was recognized as a national champion by the Football Writers Association of America. Johnson was nicknamed "Jimmy Jumpup" because he never stayed down on the ground for long during football practices or games.[3]

Early life

Johnson attended high school at Thomas Jefferson High School (now known as Memorial High School) in Port Arthur, Texas. In high school he was a classmate of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Janis Joplin.[4]

Coaching career

Early coaching jobs

Johnson began as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1965. During this time, Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame was the starting quarterback, and Jimmy helped recruit high school quarterback Terry Bradshaw from nearby Shreveport, Louisiana. He then became an assistant coach at Picayune Memorial High School in Picayune, Mississippi, in 1966. In 1967, he was an assistant at Wichita State University, then in 1968 and 1969, he served under Johnny Majors at Iowa State University in Ames. In 1970, he moved on to another Big Eight Conference school to become a defensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma, working under head coach Chuck Fairbanks and alongside future rivals Barry Switzer and Jim Dickey.

In 1973, he returned to Arkansas, where he served as defensive coordinator through the 1976 season. There, he coached such players as Brison Manor and Dirt Winston. Johnson had hopes of being named head coach when Broyles retired, but was passed over for Lou Holtz. Holtz wanted to retain Johnson on his staff and offered him a position, but Jimmy decided to move on and amicably parted company with his alma mater.

Johnson became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh under Jackie Sherrill in 1977 and 1978. There, he coached Randy Holloway, David Logan, Al Chesley, J. C. Wilson, and Hugh Green, and was introduced to a Pitt alumnus and assistant coach Dave Wannstedt, who later teamed up with Johnson again at the University of Miami, the Cowboys, and the Dolphins.

Oklahoma State

In 1979, Jimmy Johnson got his first head coaching job, at Oklahoma State University. Johnson coached for five seasons at Oklahoma State, from 1979 to 1983. His tenure there is noteworthy for his successful rebuilding of an inconsistent program. In his final season, he led the Cowboys to an 8–4 record and a 24–14 victory over 20th-ranked Baylor in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.

In 1984, when he was offered the head coaching job at the University of Miami, Johnson was unsure if he wanted to leave Stillwater. His good friend Larry Lacewell told Johnson that if he wanted to win a national championship and eventually coach in the NFL, he had to take the Miami job. Johnson soon after accepted the head coaching job at Miami.

Before taking the Miami job, Johnson interviewed for the head coaching job at Arkansas when Lou Holtz left following the 1983 season, then later found out that Ken Hatfield had already been hired. Upset that Frank Broyles (who by this time was the Arkansas athletic director) made no mention of this during the interview, Jimmy distanced himself from his alma mater. As payback for the snub, a home-and-home series was scheduled between Miami and Arkansas. In 1987, Miami gave Arkansas its worst home loss ever at the time, 51–7.

University of Miami
Main articles: 1987 Miami Hurricanes football team and 1988 Miami Hurricanes football team

In 1984, Johnson was hired by the University of Miami to replace former coach Howard Schnellenberger, who had won Miami's first national championship in 1983 and departed for the recently formed United States Football League. Johnson's hiring was met with an initial response of "Jimmy who?" by the fans and media. Johnson started with a shaky 8–5 record his first season, which included a game in which Johnson's Hurricanes blew a 31–0 halftime lead in a loss to Maryland with Frank Reich as its QB, and also included a 47–45 loss to Boston College immortalized by Doug Flutie's "Hail Mary" touchdown pass on the game's final play. But Johnson developed the Hurricanes into a football program that came to be known as "the Decade of Dominance". In his five years at Miami, Johnson compiled a 52–9 record, appeared in five New Year's Day bowl games, winning one national championship (1987) and losing one to the Penn State Nittany Lions (1986).

Johnson created a free-wheeling atmosphere where he allowed, and at times encouraged, his players to showboat, trash-talk, and run up the score. He also brought the modern 4–3 defense predicated on athletic upfield linemen to the forefront. The criticism they received from other teams caused the media to deem them the "Bad Boys of College Football", a moniker Johnson openly accepted.

Johnson's Hurricanes posted the school's first undefeated regular season in 1986, only to lose the Fiesta Bowl and the national championship to #2-ranked Penn State. The loss, along with losses in Miami's prior two bowl games, began to raise questions about whether Johnson was capable of winning major games. In the ensuing 1987 season, however, the Hurricanes went undefeated in the regular season yet again, and won the school's second national title by defeating Barry Switzer's Oklahoma Sooners for the third season in a row.

Johnson also created controversy by allowing the University of Miami to retire Vinny Testaverde's football jersey number #14, but refusing to retire Bernie Kosar's number #20, though Kosar played one season for Johnson and led the Hurricanes to the national title (the season before Johnson became head coach). Johnson's reason for not retiring Kosar's number was, "Bernie didn't finish the program here (at Miami)." Kosar graduated with honors a year ahead of his freshman class in 1985 with a dual major in finance and economics and subsequently entered the NFL's supplemental draft. Testaverde won the school's first Heisman Trophy award in December 1986 and was the first player selected in the 1987 NFL Draft. However, as Cowboys' head coach, Johnson later reached out and signed Kosar as a backup QB after Kosar was released by the Cleveland Browns during the 1993 NFL season. Kosar played during the Cowboys' Super Bowl run that season while starter Troy Aikman was injured, clinching the NFC Championship game and earning a Super Bowl ring.

Johnson was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. In May 2012, Johnson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[5]

Dallas Cowboys

In 1989, Jerry Jones, the new owner of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, a long-time friend and former University of Arkansas teammate of Johnson's, asked him to be the new head coach, replacing Tom Landry, who had coached the team since its beginning in 1960. Johnson was reunited with former Miami standout Michael Irvin, and in Johnson's first season as coach, the 1989 Cowboys went 1–15. Johnson, however, did not take long to develop the Cowboys into a championship-quality team. Johnson had an ability to find talent in the draft, make savvy trades (namely, the trade of Herschel Walker, which yielded six high draft picks and a number of players from the Minnesota Vikings), and by signing quality players such as Jay Novacek as free agents in the age before the NFL had imposed a salary cap.

Johnson served as head coach of the Cowboys from 1989 through 1993. He is one of only six men in NFL history (including Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Mike Shanahan, and Bill Belichick) to coach consecutive Super Bowl winners, winning Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and Super Bowl XXVIII in 1993 (his team beat the Buffalo Bills in both Super Bowls). Johnson led the Cowboys to a record of 10–1 in the regular season during the month of December from 1991 to 1993, also leading to a playoff record of 7–1 in those years. Johnson also had a record of 24–1 when running back Emmitt Smith ran for 100 yards or more in a regular-season game, and 5–0 in the postseason, winning two Super Bowls.

Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones mutually agreed to split due largely to their growing inability to work together. Johnson's relationship with Jones began to fall apart in 1993. It started with Jones wanting more say in player personnel decisions. Although Jones had the title of general manager, Johnson had the final say in football matters and was unwilling to give it up. An incident happened in December 1993, when the Cowboys were getting ready to play the Giants for the NFC East title, where Johnson had said he was interested in becoming head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. This led to Jones telling the media that he alone would decide Johnson's coaching future. In March 1994, after the Cowboys had won their second Super Bowl under Johnson, Jones angered Johnson when he told reporters that any coach could have led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl. They agreed to part ways on March 28, 1994 with Johnson getting a $2 million bonus.

Jones then hired another former teammate at Arkansas, former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer and the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX two seasons after Johnson's departure. Notable members on the winning team included Johnson holdovers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and Super Bowl XXX MVP Larry Brown. However, the Cowboys went into decline after Super Bowl XXX and have not reached the NFC Championship Game since then.[6]

To this day, Johnson is not on the Dallas Cowboys "Ring of Honor". Johnson and Jones had appeared to patch up their relationship, such as appearing together on the 25th anniversary of the Cowboys's Super Bowl XXVII win, and Johnson congratulating Jones on his Hall of Fame induction in 2017.[6] When asked in the summer of 2014 why Johnson was not in the ring of honor despite his two Super Bowl victories as coach of the Cowboys, Jones stated: "Disloyalty ... I couldn't handle the disloyalty."[7] The Cowboys Ring of Honor has been viewed as the "gatekeeper to the Pro Football Hall of Fame" for Dallas players, coaches, and executives;[8] despite this snub it was announced in 2020 that Johnson would be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Miami Dolphins

After working as a TV analyst with Fox Sports for two years and briefly flirting with an offer for the head-coaching job of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994,[9] Johnson joined the Miami Dolphins in 1996, replacing legendary head coach Don Shula, who retired at the end of the 1995 season. After a below-expectations year for the Dolphins in 1995, capped off by a blowout loss in the playoffs versus the Buffalo Bills, there was a groundswell among Dolphins fans who wanted Shula to step aside in favor of Johnson.[10]

Johnson's tenure in Miami did not live up to expectations. Johnson won fewer games in his first season than Shula had in his final season (8–8 vs. 9–7). Johnson's overall winning percentage at Miami was 55.3% vs. 65.8% for Shula.[11]

Johnson inherited one of the NFL's best offenses, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino; the defense was considered mediocre, though it was ranked 10th in fewest points allowed in 1995. As a defensive specialist, Johnson expected to put together a championship defense. With complete control over personnel decisions, Johnson and his staff signed several excellent defensive players, drafting future Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and pro bowlers Zach Thomas, Sam Madison, and Patrick Surtain. But Johnson's brilliant draft record was blemished by several disappointments, including fifth-round pick running back Cecil Collins, and two first-round picks, running back John Avery and wide receiver Yatil Green. The Dolphins finished 8–8 in 1996 and then 9–7 in 1997, losing to the New England Patriots in the wildcard playoff round. In 1998, the Dolphins finished 10–6 with the league's best defense, defeated the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard playoffs, then were crushed 38–3 by the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.

In a 1996 interview Johnson said he did not feel he could ever reach the stature of Shula or Landry, simply because he did not feel able to stay with the job as long as they had: "26 years or so as a head coach. I don't think I'll make it that long. This is my sixth year as a head coach, and whenever this contract's done, I think I'll probably be done coaching."[12]

In January 1999, Johnson resigned as Dolphins head coach, citing burnout. He reversed his decision in one day, after Marino—with whom Johnson had a strained relationship[13]—pleaded with Johnson to come back. Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga also hired the recently fired Chicago Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt, a former assistant under Johnson both at the University of Miami and at Dallas, as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach.

In the face of Super Bowl expectations, Miami faded from a 7–2 start down the stretch, and Johnson's relationship with Marino, which had briefly blown up following a Monday Night Football loss to the Bills in Week 4, dissolved completely. The Dolphins still finished the season 9–7 and defeated the Seahawks in the wildcard round of the playoffs, but in the divisional round they were crushed in an embarrassing 62–7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson resigned the day after the game and Marino soon thereafter announced his retirement. Johnson was succeeded by Wannstedt.

Television career
Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, and Jimmy Johnson in Afghanistan during a taping of the FOX NFL Sunday pregame show, 2009

After leaving the Dolphins, Johnson became a TV studio analyst again for Fox Sports and is currently an on-air staff member on Fox NFL Sunday. He has been assigned as a studio analyst for Fox's coverage of the Bowl Championship Series in January with Chris Rose as the host, and also pens a column on Foxsports.com. In addition he has made several guest or cameo appearances in film and television: as a bearded prisoner in lockup on the television series The Shield, as a guest star in the episode, "Johnsonwreckers" on Coach in 1994, and a cameo in the movie The Waterboy, next to Bill Cowher.

Commercials

Johnson endorsements include Procter & Gamble,[14] and a series of commercials for the male enhancement pill ExtenZe in 2010.[15] He was also involved in a South Florida-based scam called The Leading Edge that purported to feature businesses on an "educational" "interstitial" program by that name that would air on public television. Johnson filmed the TV spots, in the style of an infomercial, and businesses were pitched on the program using these clips, which appeared on the website. They were charged an "underwriting fee" of over $20,000 to appear on the show, however, the show never actually would then air. They were not affiliated with PBS and there is no record of any air dates.[16]

Survivor

Johnson was one of 20 castaways competing in Survivor: Nicaragua, the 21st edition of Survivor, in late 2010. He is a long-time fan of the show, and had been cast for Survivor: Gabon, which was the 17th edition of the show, but had to withdraw after failing a physical.[17] Johnson, the oldest contestant of the season, was part of the Espada tribe, made up entirely of people aged 40 and older.[18] He was voted out 8–1 on Day Eight of the competition, becoming the third person voted out of the game and finishing 18th overall. As he left the game, he said to his tribe, "One of you, win your million bucks, okay?" He also said, "I had fun, but I was miserable the whole time. I still love the game, it's been a great adventure, but this is the most stressful time I've ever gone through in my life. And that includes Super Bowls and collegiate national championships. I initially said, 'Keep your strongest members.' I obviously wasn't one of them."[19]

National Football League Hall of Fame Induction

Johnson was surprised during a telecast of Fox NFL Sunday by Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker on January 12, 2020, announcing that he would be the 328th member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.[20] Johnson will be inducted in early August or on September 17, 2020. He personally thanked his coworkers on Fox NFL Sunday, and thanked his players and assistant coaches for helping get him into the Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Johnson was married to Linda Kay Cooper on July 12, 1963, with whom he has two sons. They divorced in January 1990. On July 18, 1999, Johnson married Rhonda Rookmaaker. As of 2010, he lives in Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

Johnson owns a restaurant named Three Rings after the three championships he's won on collegiate and professional levels, located in Miami. He previously owned a second restaurant under the same name in Oklahoma City; however, it has since closed. Johnson's fishing boat, which is docked behind his oceanfront home in Islamorada, Florida, is also called "Three Rings". He also owns a bar and restaurant in Key Largo, Florida called "JJ's Big Chill" located at mile marker 104.

Head coaching record

College
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big Eight Conference) (1979–1983)
1979 Oklahoma State 7–45–23rd
1980 Oklahoma State 3–7–12–4–15th
1981 Oklahoma State 7–54–3T–3rdL Independence
1982 Oklahoma State 4–5–23–2–23rd
1983 Oklahoma State 8–43–44thW Astro-Bluebonnet18
Oklahoma State: 29–25–317–15–3
Miami Hurricanes (NCAA Division I-A independent) (1984–1988)
1984 Miami 8–5L Fiesta18
1985 Miami 10–2L Sugar89
1986 Miami 11–1L Fiesta22
1987 Miami 12–0W Orange11
1988 Miami 11–1W Orange22
Miami: 52–9
Total:81–34–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

NFL
TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
DAL1989 1150.0635th in NFC East————
DAL1990 790.4384th in NFC East————
DAL1991 1150.6882nd in NFC East11.500Lost to Detroit Lions in NFC Divisional Game
DAL1992 1330.8131st in NFC East301.000Super Bowl XXVII champions
DAL1993 1240.7501st in NFC East301.000Super Bowl XXVIII champions
DAL total44360.55071.875
MIA1996 880.5004th in AFC East————
MIA1997 970.5632nd in AFC East01.000Lost to New England Patriots in AFC Wild-Card Game
MIA1998 1060.6252nd in AFC East11.500Lost to Denver Broncos in AFC Divisional Game
MIA1999 970.5633rd in AFC East11.500Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars in AFC Divisional Game
MIA total36280.56323.400
Total[21]80640.55694.692

Coaching tree

Assistant coaches under Jimmy Johnson who became NCAA or NFL head coaches:

gollark: We can SPEAK over MULTICAST.
gollark: Well, it's """done""".
gollark: [REDACTED]
gollark: It won't* bombard 77.2% of public IPs with your chat messages.
gollark: It's very safe.

References
  1. Legwold, Jeff (January 12, 2020). "Jimmy Johnson to be part of Hall of Fame's centennial class". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  2. Farrar, Doug (August 18, 2010). "The Shutdown Corner Interview: Jimmy Johnson". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  3. O'Brien, Richard (September 30, 2002). "Q + A Jimmy Johnson". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  4. Hinton, Ed (September 7, 1992). "Deep Into His Job". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  5. Former A&M Coach R. C. Slocum Named To Hall Of Fame Archived September 6, 2012, at Archive.today kwtx.com Retrieved May 15, 2012
  6. Walker, Patrik (January 13, 2020). "Jimmy Johnson elected to the Hall of Fame: Aikman, Irvin, and Smith get emotional; Jerry Jones reacts to news". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  7. Van Natta, Don, Jr. (August 28, 2014). "Jerry Football". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  8. Drummond, K.D. (January 13, 2020). "Jerry Jones looks super petty now that Jimmy Johnson will be in HOF". USA Today. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  9. "Johnson Staying in TV". The New York Times. December 17, 1994. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  10. Wulf, Steve (January 15, 1996). "UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS: Legendary Coach Don Shula Resigns Under Heavy Pressure in Miami". Time. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  11. "HALL OF FAMERS DON SHULA". Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  12. "Face to Face with Jimmy Johnson". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 88. Ziff Davis. November 1996. p. 259.
  13. Pompei, Dan (December 22, 1997). "Uneasy rests the alliance of Johnson, Marino". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  14. Bourdett, Paul (September 14, 2009). "5 Quick Questions With Jimmy Johnson". DailyTailgate.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  15. Snyder, Whitney (February 5, 2010). "Jimmy Johnson, ExtenZe Spokesman! Coach To Pitch 'Male Enhancement' Pills". Huffington Post.
  16. Masnick, Mike (October 7, 2014). "Latest 'Pay To Be On 'Public' TV' Scam Involves Football Coach Jimmy Johnson". TechDirt.com. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  17. "Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson to be a contestant on 'Survivor: Nicaragua'". The Dallas Morning News. July 21, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  18. "Survivor: Nicaragua's Old vs. Young Cast Revealed!". Yahoo!. August 9, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  19. "Survivor: Nicaragua – Episode 3". CBS.
  20. Bergman, Jeremy (January 12, 2020). "Jimmy Johnson inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame". NFL.com. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  21. Jimmy Johnson Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com
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