Saturday, 21 December 2024

Jimmy Johnson

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Coaches 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Football
Statistics: 2 NFL Super Bowls (XXVII & XXVIII)
1 NCAA National Championship (1987)
1 AP Coach of the Year (1990)
1 Walter Camp Coach of the Year (1986)
80-64 NFL Record
9-4 NFL Postseason Record
81-34-3 NCAA Record
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Member of the College Football Hall of Fame

*1 NCAA National Championship (1964)

*As a player
Jimmy Johnson won a National Championship as a defensive lineman at the University of Arkansas, and following his playing days with the Razorbacks; he went into coaching.

Johnson worked his way up the coaching ranks, becoming the head coach for Oklahoma State in 1979. He did well and went to the University of Miami, which had just won their first national championship. Johnson fit in well with the boisterous culture that was emerging within the Hurricanes, and he took back to a national championship in 1987. As impressive as this was, a bigger challenge was waiting for him in the NFL.

In 1989, the new owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, brought in Johnson to replace Tom Landry. The Cowboys went 1-15 in his first year, but he was building a culture, which was aided by trading Herschel Walker to Minnesota for players and picks, a haul that loaded the team. He would take Dallas to Super Bowl wins (XXVII & XXVIII). America’s Team was back, and Johnson was mostly responsible.

Behind the scenes, his relationship with Jones soured, and he negotiated an exit. He would later coach the Miami Dolphins for four seasons, but the work he did in Dallas earned Johnson a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

We are proud to nominate Jimmy Johnson for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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