The FOX Sports public relations department announced the retirement of longtime studio analyst and former Miami national championship coach Jimmy Johnson on Monday. FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks gave a three-paragraph tribute that included Johnson being one of the original analysts 31 years ago.
Although Johnson was the head coach at Oklahoma State from 1979 through 1983, he became a national figure when he was hired as the replacement for Howard Schnellenberger at Miami. The Hurricanes were coming off the 1983 national championship, but Johnson raised the program to another level.
After Miami finished 8-5 during Johnson's first season in 1984, the Hurricanes went 44-4 in his final four seasons that included the 1987 national championship. Losses in their bowl games following the 1985 and 1986 seasons and their sole loss in 1988 prevented Miami from winning three more national titles.
Johnson was hired by his former Arkansas teammate Jerry Jones as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. In five seasons with Dallas, Johnson was 44-36 and won Superbowls XXVII and XXVIII. Johnson and Jones mutually agreed to part ways in March 1994
How about that @JimmyJohnson! Congratulations coach, thank you and all the best from your @FOXSports and @NFLonFOX family as you set sail into retirement. pic.twitter.com/PLz98dYNjf
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) March 3, 2025
Johnson began his initial stint with FOX in 1994. After two seasons with FOX, Johnson replaced Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula, just as he had done with fellow inductee Tom Landry with the Dallas Cowboys seven years earlier. Johnson was 36-28 with the Dolphins and 2-3 in the playoffs in three seasons.
Johnson never led the Dolphins beyond the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs and returned to FOX as a studio analyst where he has been since the 2000 season. FOX and Johnson gave somewhat of an indication of his retirement during their Super Bowl coverage with an AI video.
Johnson lives in Islamorada in the Florida Keys and has often been around Miami. Throughout his career as a studio analyst, Johnson has stated the Miami Hurricanes are his team more than Arkansas or any of the teams he has coached. Johnson could make surprise appearances with Miami in retirement.