Jimmy Johnson retires from Fox Sports after being a face of its NFL coverage for most of 3 decades
Jimmy Johnson, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach who won two Super Bowls and a college national championship, announced his retirement from Fox Sports on Monday after being part of its NFL coverage for most of the network's 31 years.
The 81-year-old Johnson made the announcement during an appearance on 'The Herd With Colin Cowherd.'
'The most fun I ever had in my career, that's counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports,' he said, adding that he loved working for CEO Eric Shanks and Fox NFL Sunday producer Bill Richards.
'But I've made an extremely difficult decision,' he said. 'I've been thinking about it for the last four or five years and I've decided to retire from Fox. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss all the guys. I'll see them occasionally. It's been a great run starting 31 years ago.'
Johnson worked alongside hosts Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw and analysts Howie Long and Michael Strahan. Johnson did two stints with Fox totaling 25 years. He was hired for the pregame show in 1994 and spent two seasons before leaving to become the general manager and head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 1996.
Johnson was with the Dolphins for five seasons and returned to Fox in 2002.
'Jimmy Johnson was there when Fox NFL Sunday came on-air for the first time 31 years ago, and since then has been a cherished member of our Fox Sports family, which makes today's retirement news bittersweet,' Shanks said in a statement posted to social media. 'Jimmy served as an inspiration to generations of football fans with his legendary swagger, one-of-a-kind insight and signature humor.'
Johnson made the cross-country trip weekly during the season for many years from his home in Key West, Florida, to Los Angeles. In recent seasons, he would only travel to Los Angeles for the Sundays when Fox had a doubleheader and would work the other weeks from home.
'We caught lightning in a bottle. Chemistry is hard to forecast and duplicate. We came out of the gate at number one and it's been that way for 31 years,' Long said Monday by phone. 'We've grown to love one another. And the thing I go back to is what I said to him as he were walking off the field (at the Super Bowl). I've never seen him this happy.'
Menefee said Johnson informed him last week about his decision. Menefee added that two years ago the crew had what was thought to be a going-away dinner for Johnson in Los Angeles at the end of the season, but that Johnson later opted to return.
'The reason he did decide to come back before was because there was a hesitation. This time he was 100 percent confident that this is the right thing for him to do at this time and with his family,' Menefee said by phone. 'I think we all hope we get to go out into the sunset the way that we want, and he certainly has been able to do that.'
Johnson won Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1992 and '93 seasons and the college football national championship with Miami in 1987. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Menefee said the announcement of Johnson's induction during halftime of an NFC divisional-round game in January 2020 remains one of the top moments since Fox Sports began carrying the NFL in 1994.
'I don't think there's anything that we have done in the 31 years of Fox Sports has been remotely close to that because I think not only did it mean so much to Jimmy, you saw how much it meant to the people who care about Jimmy,' Menefee said. 'I think everything that Fox Sports is got encapsulated in that one moment for the whole world to see.'
Johnson coached the Cowboys for five seasons, stepping down after winning his second Lombardi Trophy, and three months later was hired by Fox as a pregame show analyst. Johnson's split with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was acrimonious, and it wasn't until December 30, 2023, that Jones put Johnson in the team's ring of honor. Johnson and Tom Landry are the only coaches alongside the 19 players and two executives in the exclusive group of one of the NFL's storied franchises.
Johnson's coaching career started in 1965 as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Bradshaw's alma mater. He became a head coach for the first time in 1979, at Oklahoma State, and left after five years for Miami, where he went 52-9 with two No. 2 finishes to go with his 1987 title.
'It has been 17 seasons of fun and laughs sitting next to you,' Strahan posted on X. 'You're truly one of a kind and thanks for being you and gifting me with one of the best friendships anyone could ever ask for. Hope you enjoy fishing and drinking beers on the boat. You deserve it, love you Coach!'
Johnson reposted Strahan's well wishes and added a message: 'Michael, going to miss sitting next to you but I'll be watching.'
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But Wemby is such a dominant paint protector that he can erase defensive breakdowns. What he can't do is manufacture spacing for himself on the other end. So there'd be more pressure for them to figure it out on offense no matter how good the team's defense becomes. And that concern is shared for the guards, not just Wemby. Harper projects best as a lead initiator with shooting around him, not as the third wheel on a team that can't space the floor. There were better lottery outcomes for him. And if Harper is the pick, what happens to Castle? He's not a shooter. He's not running the offense. So is the reigning Rookie of the Year now a low-usage cutter who doesn't space the floor? It's unclear how Castle's development tracks next to Fox and Harper. Advertisement This option doesn't just assume internal development. It assumes internal compliance that no one pushes for touches, for usage, for clarity. It assumes Wemby will keep deferring while the team figures itself out. 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Maybe one of them would offer a haul to move up for Harper. Looking at the history of trade downs, usually a team would give up their own first and one future first. But considering Harper's upside, perhaps the Spurs could haggle for much more. The Nets, holding the No. 8 pick and a mountain of future firsts plus Cam Johnson, are the most interesting trade partner. Harper is a local kid with star potential, and the Nets have a clean slate he could grow with. If the Spurs want to pivot toward shooting, Johnson plus picks is a logical foundation. Advertisement In that range, Duke wing Kon Knueppel, Arizona forward Carter Bryant and Washington State wing Cedric Coward would all be strong fits. They bring shooting and versatility, which is exactly what the current Spurs core lacks. The question: Are any of them worth passing on Harper's ceiling for? Option 4: Trade out of the draft for a star The Spurs might not need another teenager. 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He still doesn't have a reliable jumper. And for a guard who lives off speed, any athletic slippage could get ugly fast. And even if he ages gracefully and ends up being by far the most expensive of three quality shot-creators, he won't come close to having the trade value he holds right now. San Antonio has one last window to sell high. Advertisement Harper, on the other hand, is 19 with real long-term upside. Castle is younger, cheaper and easier to fit in because he's a far better cutter and defender than Fox. It's not as if Fox and Wemby made a great first impression. Granted they ran only 46 pick-and-rolls together, but they scored a measly 0.77 points per play. A full training camp might help, but maybe not if the team's shooting situation doesn't improve. Plus Castle and Harper also need touches. Fox/Wemby simply might not be the high-usage combo the Spurs envisioned. If moving Fox were on the table, the logical targets are the teams that were connected to him at the deadline: Miami Heat: Fox for Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jović, the No. 20 pick and unprotected firsts in 2030 and 2032. Fox upgrades Miami's point guard spot, while San Antonio gets picks and three shooters, including a young piece in Jović. Brooklyn Nets: Fox for Cam Johnson and draft capital. Johnson spaces the floor and fits the timeline. Houston Rockets: Fox (plus Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley) for Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, the 10th pick and future firsts. FVV gives the Spurs a vet, while Smith would be a fascinating fit next to Wemby. Other playmaking-needy teams like the Bulls, Magic, Suns, and Timberwolves could emerge as dark horses. Phoenix is especially interesting. If the Spurs really want Durant, Fox's salary helps make the math work. Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes or Devin Vassell could be added to build a separate bigger deal. 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Tim Duncan's prime was maximized because San Antonio built with precision. Shooting. Defense. Clarity. Manu Ginóbili didn't need the ball to impact the game. Tony Parker could bend defenses without dominating possessions. Everyone fit around Duncan, and San Antonio always evolved with the times as the NBA changed. And because of that, it lasted two decades. Wembanyama deserves that kind of infrastructure. And right now, it feels like the Spurs are building a roster better suited for 2005. But the blueprint has never been clearer: surround your generational star with players who space the floor, make quick decisions and elevate him without always needing the ball to do it. Do that, and Wembanyama changes the sport. Don't, and years from now we'll talk about how the Spurs landed an alien and built a roster that made him look human.
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