Jimmy Johnson Hired to Cowboys ‘Advisory Board’ by Jerry? ‘Back in the Fold!’ Reveals Coach
FRISCO - Jimmy Johnson was laughing when he said it, but the more he unpeeled the details of his Ring of Honor-driven reunion with Jerry Jones, the more serious the positive implications come to mind.
"Since the Ring of Honor, I am on his [Jerry Jones'] advisory board now," Johnson said to Joe Rose on WQAM 560 AM in Miami. "Everything is hunky-dory now.
“I am back in the fold with the Cowboys."
Jimmy and Jerry - photo by Bret Kelly, CBS11
To Cowboys Nation, this is a monumental turn of events. Jones and Johnson, “frienemies” for decades, made their peace at the end of the season when the Hall of Fame coach was inducted into the Ring of Honor … at which point the two co-architects of the three-time Super Bowl title teams of the 1990s picked right up with the good ol’ times.
"It's funny because every time I'm with Jerry, we tell stories back and forth and laugh and cut up … like a couple of brothers,” Johnson said.
Great. But whet about the “advisory board” thing? This does not come across as a “hiring” or a move made in an official capacity; if it was that, it’s impossible to imagine Jones missing out on the PR bonanza of a trumpeted announcement.
But we’ve reported over the years that Jones has used trusted voices for guidance, with football luminaries like Ron Wolf, Lou Holtz, Mike Holmgren, Charles Haley, Barry Switzer, Joe Gibbs and the late John Madden among those advice-givers.
Johnson is at the very least taking his rightful spot in that group.
When did all of this kick in?
“We were talking on the phone for about an hour after his Green Bay (playoff) loss, and he was talking about what all he needed to do,” Jimmy said, “because he had big decisions on Mike McCarthy and Dan Quinn and Dak Prescott.”
Meaning … Jerry asked. Jimmy advised. And a new “board member” was added.
