Boasting success at both the collegiate and NFL levels is often a struggle for head coaches — but not for Jimmy Johnson. Now a broadcaster at FOX, Johnson was the first head coach to win both an NCAA national title and a Super Bowl ring. Let’s take a look back at Johnson’s illustrious coaching career, including his high-profile run as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jimmy Johnson’s Coaching Career
Johnson eventually became a legendary college and NFL head coach, but his career had humble beginnings. After playing defensive line at the University of Arkansas, Johnson spent 14 years as an assistant in the high school and collegiate ranks, working at Wichita State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Pittsburgh.
In 1979, Johnson was named head coach at Oklahoma State. He helped rebuild the Cowboys’ roster and guided the club to a 29-25-3 record over five seasons, including a win over Baylor in the 1982 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
Johnson was hired as the University of Miami’s head coach in 1984. He had big shoes to fill, as he was replacing Howard Schnellenberger, who had just won the Hurricanes’ first national title the season prior before leaving for the USFL.
Johnson met and exceeded expectations at Miami, turning the program into the talk of the college football world. After posting an 8-5 record during his first season at the helm, Johnson lost just four more games over his final four seasons with the Hurricanes.
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In 1987, Johnson helped Miami run the table en route to a National Championship win over the University of Oklahoma. The following year, Johnson’s last with the Hurricanes, Miami went 11-1 and earned an Orange Bowl victory.
Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and Johnson’s college teammate, hired Johnson to replace Tom Landry as the Cowboys’ head coach in 1989. Johnson’s first season in Dallas was rough (1-15), but he did pull off arguably the greatest heist in NFL history by trading Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for six draft picks.
Johnson took the Cowboys to 7-9 in his second season in Dallas. While the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs, the team’s improvement was so glaring that Johnson won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. Dallas then went 11-5 in 1991 before the real fireworks began.
Working with the Cowboys’ “triplets” of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and receiver Michael Irvin, Johnson guided Dallas to back-to-back Super Bowl trophies in 1992 and 1993. He became one of just six coaches in NFL history to lead consecutive Super Bowl winners.
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Despite the team’s success, Johnson and Jones’ relationship gradually deteriorated. Jones, nominally the Cowboys’ general manager, wanted more personnel control than Johnson was willing to cede. As such, Johnson departed the organization following his second Lombardi.
In 1996, Johnson returned to the NFL as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach, taking over for Hall of Famer Don Shula. While Johnson posted a respectable 36-28 record and reached the playoffs three times in four seasons in Miami, his Dolphins’ tenure never lived up to expectations.
Johnson initially resigned as Miami’s head coach before the 1999 campaign, but he came back when quarterback Dan Marino asked him to return. However, Johnson’s relationship with Marino collapsed during their final season together, and Johnson retired for good in 2000.
All told, Johnson managed an 81-34-3 record as a college head coach and an 80-64 mark as an NFL head coach. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Did Johnson Ever Play in the NFL?
Johnson never played in the NFL, but he was an accomplished defensive lineman at the University of Arkansas. He was part of the Razorback’s National Championship season in 1964 and was later named to the program’s 1960s All-Decade Team.
Additionally, Johnson is a member of the University of Arkansas’ Hall of Fame and the state of Arkansas’ Hall of Fame.
Johnson’s Career on TV
Johnson, who worked as a FOX analyst between his Cowboys and Dolphins jobs, rejoined the network following retirement and is currently a co-host of FOX NFL Sunday, where he works alongside Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, and Michael Strahan.
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Additionally, Johnson competed on Survivor: Nicaragua in 2010 before being voted out on Day Eight. Johnson also had guest appearances on the television shows The Shield and Coach and in the film The Waterboy.
What’s Johnson’s Net Worth?
Johnson reportedly earns $4 million per year as a broadcaster with FOX. His net worth is believed to be roughly $45 million.