Exploring Jimmy Johnson’s new role with the Dallas Cowboys

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The Dallas Cowboys are turning to a familiar face from the past for advice on how to return to the top of the NFL mountain.

Jimmy Johnson coached “America’s Team” to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in the 1990s and is now a part of their advisory board.

Johnson’s history with the Cowboys

Jerry Jones hired Johnson to replace Tom Landry as head coach ahead of the 1989 season.

Jones and Johnson were long-time friends and former teammates from their playing days at the University of Arkansas.

Johnson’s opening season in Dallas is what we have come to expect from coaches who move directly from college to the pros, with the Cowboys going 1-15.

What followed, though, is the stuff of legends as the former national champion guided them to Super Bowl triumphs in 1992 and 93, making the playoffs in his final three seasons as head coach.

The Cowboys had double-digit wins in his final three seasons as coach, finishing with a 44-36 record in his five years there.

Mending Fences

In December 1993, the close relationship between them took a hit when Johnson expressed interest in coaching the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars.

After beating the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl later that season, the two mutually agreed to part ways in March 1994, with Johnson receiving a $2 million bonus.

Things were rocky between the two former friends for decades before Jones threw out an olive branch in 2021, inviting Johnson to be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, which the Fox analyst accepted.

Johnson received the honor officially at half-time of their game against the Detroit Lions in December of this year.

Perhaps time heals all wounds.

What could Johnson’s new role entail?

There isn’t a lot of detail about Johnson’s new position, though it seems the 80-year-old will be an extra set of eyes for the front office.

“We were talking on the phone about an hour after his Green Bay loss, and he was talking about what all he needed to do because he had big decisions on Mike McCarthy and Dan Quinn and Dak Prescott,” Johnson said.

“Everything is hunky dory now. I am back in the fold with the Cowboys.”

Due to his contractual obligation with the NFL on Fox, there’s unlikely to be any official confirmation from the Cowboys.

“The two of us were working around the clock, together,” he said of Jones in their dynasty years together.

“People don’t realize the relationship [we have]. Back then, Jerry and I talked every day. Every single day, I’d be in his office. And we never really had a disagreement, and that’s surprising to a lot of people, but we were always on the same page. “

Who knows how much say Johnson will have, but he’s got a reputation for getting the best out of players and finding the right talent to take a team over the top.

He had plenty of say in the team trading Herschel Walker, a trade which saw six high draft picks, including Emmitt Smith and numerous Minnesota Viking players join Dallas.

That played a key part in their Super Bowl years.

Johnson’s also still got a fiery team talk, as we saw at half-time of their game against the Packers on Fox.

The hope is with him in the fold, the team can lift the Lombardi trophy sooner rather than later.