Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy Johnson married Linda Kay Cooper on July 12, 1963, and they had two sons. They divorced in January 1990. After his divorce, Johnson told reporters that Cooper no longer fit "into my game plan."

Johnson married Rhonda Rookmaaker on July 18, 1999. He has been associated with the Florida Keys, where he has owned JJ's Big Chill, a bar and grill in Key Largo.

Johnson became the head coach of the University of Miami in 1984 after beginning his career as an assistant and later serving as head coach at Oklahoma State. In five seasons with the Hurricanes, he compiled a 52-9 record and led the team to two Orange Bowl titles.

Miami went undefeated during the 1987 regular season and defeated Barry Switzer's Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl to win the national championship. Johnson's teams became known as the "Bad Boys of College Football" for their aggressive style, showboating and trash talk.

As a player at Arkansas, Johnson had been a teammate of Jerry Jones, who later became the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Johnson also coached Miami quarterbacks Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde and Steve Walsh.

Jerry Jones hired Johnson as the Dallas Cowboys' head coach in 1989, replacing Tom Landry. The Cowboys went 1-15 in Johnson's first season, but he rebuilt the team through drafting, trades and personnel decisions. The trade of Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings produced six high draft picks and several players for Dallas.

Johnson led the Cowboys to Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII victories over the Buffalo Bills in 1992 and 1993. He became one of the first head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl, and one of the few NFL coaches to win consecutive Super Bowls.

Johnson and Jones agreed to part ways in March 1994 after growing disagreements over control of football operations. Johnson was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2023, following his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Johnson returned to the NFL in 1996 as head coach and general manager of the Miami Dolphins, succeeding Don Shula. He coached the Dolphins for four seasons and finished with a 36-28 regular-season record and a 2-3 postseason record.

During his tenure, Miami drafted future Pro Football Hall of Famers Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, along with Pro Bowlers Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain. The Dolphins reached the divisional round of the playoffs in 1998 after finishing the season 10-6.

Johnson resigned after the 1999 season, citing burnout. His final season included a 62-7 divisional-round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After leaving the Dolphins, Johnson became a studio analyst for Fox Sports and appeared on Fox NFL Sunday. He remained part of the program for many years and announced his retirement from sports broadcasting in 2025.

Johnson also made guest and cameo appearances in entertainment productions. His acting credits include The Waterboy, Funny People, The Shield and the television series Coach.

In 2010, Johnson competed on Survivor: Nicaragua as a member of the Espada tribe. He was voted out on Day Eight, finishing 18th overall.

Johnson was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 and formally inducted in 2021.

His coaching honors include two Super Bowl championships, a college national championship, the 1990 AP NFL Coach of the Year award and the 1986 Walter Camp Coach of the Year award.