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The partnership of Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl wins in the 1990s. It was an unprecedented achievement, as the Cowboys were one of the youngest teams in terms of average age.
However, what started as a promising dynasty faltered when Johnson stepped down from his position in March 1994 following a $2 million contract buyout. While much has been said and done by both men to irk the other, the feud stemmed from one destructive aspect: ego.
Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson’s paths crossed again in Dallas
Johnson and Jones were teammates at the University of Arkansas, with the former being a defensive lineman while Jones was an offensive lineman. After their Razorbacks days, Johnson initiated his coaching career and eventually replaced Howard Schnellenberger to run the fabled University of Miami football program.
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Meanwhile, Jones started his business empire, eventually becoming a real estate and energy tycoon. He had enough money to purchase the Dallas Cowboys franchise from H.R. “Bum” Bright for $140 million in 1989.
Jones then hired his former teammate to replace the legendary Tom Landry. It was a job Johnson deserved after leading the Hurricanes to the 1987 NCAA national championship.
As great as they are in their respective fields, success did not come instantly for the Jimmy Johnson-Jerry Jones tandem. They went 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990. However, the Cowboys turned things around in 1991 when they went 11-5. Unfortunately, their season ended via a Divisional Round loss to the Detroit Lions.
That was only the beginning, though, as Johnson’s coaching and Jones’ business acumen led to wins in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. The Cowboys were poised to be the NFL’s next dynasty, thanks to Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland and Ken Norton Jr.
Yet with the Cowboys’ place in football’s summit solidified, the two power players wanted a more significant share of the credit. Jerry Jones wanted more of the limelight even if the team’s success was impossible without his bankroll.
Conversely, Jimmy Johnson maintained that his mentoring was the driving force to the team’s success.
The beginning of the end for the Jimmy Johnson-Jerry Jones partnership
In his Nov. 2022 appearance on Fox & Friends, Johnson shared while promoting his autobiography “Swagger: Super Bowls, Brass Balls, and Footballs--A Memoir”:
“We were in his automobile, and he said, ‘Jimmy, you’re in charge of the football, I’m in charge of the money, and we’ll make sports history.’ Well, we made sports history. And everything worked fine for a long time, and then all of a sudden, we started winning, and then when we started winning, things changed a little bit.”
"People say, ‘he meddled too much.’ No, he didn’t meddle. It’s just that when we started winning, he wanted to be more in the spotlight. I was proud of what we accomplished. Maybe I didn’t want to share it. I take fault in a lot of it. I should’ve shared it more."
One of the incidents in question was the trade for Tony Casillas. Johnson sent their second and eighth-round selections in the 1992 NFL Draft to get the defensive tackle. However, Jerry Jones quickly called for a press conference to declare that he engineered the Casillas trade.
There was also an interview with Bob Costas where Johnson told Jones that he respects his football knowledge as an owner. However, the coach said no when Costas followed up if Johnson treated Jones as someone with equal football knowledge. Jimmy Johnson cited his three decades of football coaching experience as his advantage.
Jones also offered to rework Johnson’s coaching contract three times. In return, the owner wanted some control in building the roster. Johnson refused the deal in all three instances.
At the height of their success, Johnson shared with reporters that he was intrigued with the possibility of coaching the expansion franchise Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones was furious at Johnson’s statement, as their championship hopes were high.
The tension reached a breaking point in early 1994 during the NFL team owner’s meeting in Orlando, Florida. According to a report by the Orlando Sentinel, Jerry Jones allegedly walked to a table where Johnson and former Cowboys assistants were sitting.
The owner then called for a toast to celebrate the Cowboys’ recent Super Bowl victory. However, when he felt like those on the table were ignoring him, he angrily walked away while uttering some cuss words. Worst yet, Jones told reporters that 500 other coaches could have won the Super Bowl with their team.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Johnson announced his resignation as Cowboys head coach. Jones hired Barry Switzer to replace Jimmy Johnson, eventually leading Dallas to another Super Bowl title.
The aftermath of the Jerry Jones-Jimmy Johnson split
Following his resignation, it took three years before Johnson became an NFL coach again.
This time, he led the Miami Dolphins until the 1999 season. Meanwhile, Jerry Jones made the Cowboys the most valuable NFL franchise. Sportico estimates its value at $9.2 billion as of August 2023.
It looked like Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson patched things up when the Cowboys owner announced Johnson’s induction into the team’s Ring of Honor. However, the ceremony hasn’t happened since the announcement in 2021 following another round of verbal spat between the two icons.
However, their triumph under Switzer was the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl appearance. They haven’t even returned to the NFC Championship Game since 1995.
Jones hired six coaches, including Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells, after Switzer. None of them replicated the success Johnson brought to football’s most famous star, though.
