A biography for Jimmy Johnsonhasn’t been written yet.
“I think the biggest thing was that when I was in college, I really concentrated on personnel. That was my strength, and I was, in essence, my own recruiting coordinator. And when I went to the pros, I did the same thing.”
“Like I always say, it's not how many great plays you make; it's how few bad ones you make. I know fans, and even some losing coaches, are enamored with long pass completions or the great run plays, but that doesn't offset the interception or the fumble.”
“When I went to the Dolphins, we retained most of their coaching staff, and of course, we had a few veteran players. So, I just tried to add a few pieces here and there.”
“A lot of coaches could ration out their time. They could delegate. They would make time for their family. But when I was coaching I would almost laugh at those guys. I knew we were working the extra hours to get an edge on them.”
“Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great?”
“I'm not really good with predicting.”
“An objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.”
“Give people enough guidance to make the decisions you want them to make. Don't tell them what to do, but encourage them to do what is best.”
“Of all the programs, I watch sporting events live and I watch 'Survivor' live. Everything else I TiVo.”
“Football rewards the guys that are in great condition.”
“The other thing was that when I was at the University of Miami, we ran a pro-style offense and defense. I started each year by going to a pro training camp, I visited with various pro coaches, and I did this for five years.”
“Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a person as if he were where he could be and should be, and he will become what he could be and should be.”
“You can't really compare teams just because of two or three players.”
“I was the personnel director there with the Cowboys.”
“The only thing worse than a coach or CEO who doesn't care about his people is one who pretends to care. People can spot a phony every time.”
“A head coach has to be able to oversee all facets of the team and of the game.”
“And the main thing was that I wanted to live in south Florida. That's why I left the Cowboys; to live in south Florida.”
“Anybody who has ever been around me knows I'll give you my opinion.”
“In some ways 'Survivor' might have saved my life.”
“I think as far as any kind of pressure on a football team or on an individual in professional sports really depends not only on that individual but the leadership they have on the team and the leadership they have on the coaching staff. A lot of times, they can divert some of those pressures off of the individual and off of the team.”