If Jimmy were coaching the Cowboys today. What would he do different?

[VaqueroTD]

This is going to sound like a knock on Coach Mac whom I think is a good Coach, but Jimmy is in the ROH and HOF for a reason. And Coach Mac has every bit the chance to do it for himself too.

But besides our franchise owning the NFL record for all-time Lombardi Trophies, here is what else we'd see if Jimmy pulled a Belichick or Parcells and was still coaching late in life this year.

• Can't help but feel like him and DQ would hit it off nicely. They have similar strategies and I think would be good compliments. Jimmy would build a better line and safeties to support DQ's fast players. He would push the fiery DQ's buttons the right way just like he did Waanstedt and our defense truly would be Doomsday III.
• Jimmy would support #11's podcasts and whatever he wanted to do off the field as long as he brought it but have to think he would shut up the blame game on the refs, or at least drive #11 HARD.
• The pressure on Dak would be even more intense. Trey Lance is a Jimmy supported type move, but I honestly don't know how the Cooper Rush situation would have worked out last year. Even Aikman was benched for a hot backup. Jimmy was about WINNING first and probably would have developed Dak better than he has been up until this point.
• Zeke, Witten, etc all would have been gone earlier and team would have their replacements already groomed. No favorites when you lose your speed.
• Steele would be benched this year and there would be a young player worth replacing him that Jimmy found in the draft.
• Hunter would be in deep doodoo if he fumbled the ball again this week.
• Maher would have been cut before the SF game last year.

 

[Jake]

Jimmy would've had to change his style over time. You can't just cut anyone because there are cap implications to consider. Today's players know that as well.

Coaches have to earn a different type of respect today. The old school fear doesn't have the power it had back when Jimmy took over the Cowboys.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Jimmy would've had to change his style over time. You can't just cut anyone because there are cap implications to consider. Today's players know that as well.

Coaches have to earn a different type of respect today. The old school fear doesn't have the power it had back when Jimmy took over the Cowboys.

For sure he'd be A LOT more laid back, but he wouldn't change what made him great. See the Dave Campo interview I posted this week. There's a question about this. I agree with Campo's conclusion that Jimmy would still be successful in today's league because unlike other screamers, he backed it up with uncanny psychology and button pushing.

I think the thing I would be most interested to see is how Jimmy dealt with the modern day cap, especially because he was just as good a GM as Head Coach. He left just as it was taking off.

 

[5Stars]

@Ranching ... He would quit on the team, huh?
j/k

 

[VaqueroTD]

@Ranching ... He would quit on the team, huh?
j/k

 

[Kwyn]

Jimmy didn’t just retire after he left the Cowboys which seems to be how most people see things. He coached Miami for four years with Dan Marino as his QB and did not do well at all. He didn’t draft nearly as well there as he did here and his teams underperformed for their talent level.

His last game with them was a 62-7 blowout loss in the divisional round.

He was quoted as saying that when you come back for the wrong reason, such as ego or money, it’s a bad decision and that’s what happened to him. He didn’t have the passion or tenacity to keep coaching.

So, I think that while Jimmy’s time with the Cowboys was lightning in a bottle, that’s really what it was. He didn’t have more to give.

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

Jimmy was such a shrewd judge of talent. He could quickly recognize the players and also pretenders. He would be churning the the roster more, especially the bottom of it.

 

[Sully]

https://tenor.com/view/yeah-the-chosen-osescolhidos-david-amito-gif-26271672

 

[Shane612]

He would build the team inside out, unless he had a chance to draft a stud at QB.
We'd have seen a lot more linemen (defense and offense) drafted.

 

[john van brocklin]

This is going to sound like a knock on Coach Mac whom I think is a good Coach, but Jimmy is in the ROH and HOF for a reason. And Coach Mac has every bit the chance to do it for himself too.

But besides our franchise owning the NFL record for all-time Lombardi Trophies, here is what else we'd see if Jimmy pulled a Belichick or Parcells and was still coaching late in life this year.

• Can't help but feel like him and DQ would hit it off nicely. They have similar strategies and I think would be good compliments. Jimmy would build a better line and safeties to support DQ's fast players. He would push the fiery DQ's buttons the right way just like he did Waanstedt and our defense truly would be Doomsday III.
• Jimmy would support #11's podcasts and whatever he wanted to do off the field as long as he brought it but have to think he would shut up the blame game on the refs, or at least drive #11 HARD.
• The pressure on Dak would be even more intense. Trey Lance is a Jimmy supported type move, but I honestly don't know how the Cooper Rush situation would have worked out last year. Even Aikman was benched for a hot backup. Jimmy was about WINNING first and probably would have developed Dak better than he has been up until this point.
• Zeke, Witten, etc all would have been gone earlier and team would have their replacements already groomed. No favorites when you lose your speed.
• Steele would be benched this year and there would be a young player worth replacing him that Jimmy found in the draft.
• Hunter would be in deep doodoo if he fumbled the ball again this week.
• Maher would have been cut before the SF game last year.

We would have a disciplined, accountable culture.
That's the biggest thing we currently lack.

 

[Typhus]

This is going to sound like a knock on Coach Mac whom I think is a good Coach, but Jimmy is in the ROH and HOF for a reason. And Coach Mac has every bit the chance to do it for himself too.

But besides our franchise owning the NFL record for all-time Lombardi Trophies, here is what else we'd see if Jimmy pulled a Belichick or Parcells and was still coaching late in life this year.

• Can't help but feel like him and DQ would hit it off nicely. They have similar strategies and I think would be good compliments. Jimmy would build a better line and safeties to support DQ's fast players. He would push the fiery DQ's buttons the right way just like he did Waanstedt and our defense truly would be Doomsday III.
• Jimmy would support #11's podcasts and whatever he wanted to do off the field as long as he brought it but have to think he would shut up the blame game on the refs, or at least drive #11 HARD.
• The pressure on Dak would be even more intense. Trey Lance is a Jimmy supported type move, but I honestly don't know how the Cooper Rush situation would have worked out last year. Even Aikman was benched for a hot backup. Jimmy was about WINNING first and probably would have developed Dak better than he has been up until this point.
• Zeke, Witten, etc all would have been gone earlier and team would have their replacements already groomed. No favorites when you lose your speed.
• Steele would be benched this year and there would be a young player worth replacing him that Jimmy found in the draft.
• Hunter would be in deep doodoo if he fumbled the ball again this week.
• Maher would have been cut before the SF game last year.

Jimmy would have sent Sam Williams packing.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Jimmy would have sent Sam Williams packing.

If he even drafted him. LOL

Jimmy talked in his book Swagger about red flags on dumb players. He wasn't looking at Wonderlic scores, he was looking at maturity, leadership, personal accountability, everything.

Great story is he had a top RB or WR at recruiting day in Miami. He observed as the guy dropped a chicken leg on the floor. He watched as the guy just walked on and didn't care.

Based on that he decided not to bring the player onboard. Not the right type of smart player he wants on his team.

But he also talked about using kid gloves on Leon Lett, so as long as he was the right type of player for Jimmy, I'm sure he would have made it work. Jimmy molded a lot of defensive linemen.

 

[75boyz]

Would not have had to lie in his interview to get the job.
Would not have hired Nolan.
Would not have done Austin Powers or Gallagher impersonations.
Would not have been told who his offensive coordinator will be.
Would not make stupid *** time management and special team decisions.
Would not have said he was gonna run the ball and rest the defense and then NOT do it.
Would not have said that he was gonna fix the penalties and then NOT fix them.

 

[Bobhaze]

The first thing Jimmy would do is exactly what he did when he got here the first time: Have the wording in his contract that he - Jimmy Johnson - would have final approval of all locker room and personnel decisions.

Jimmy mentioned in in his most recent book that having the wording in his contract to have that control over personnel was what Jerry has never allowed in any head coach contract since.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Jimmy was a great motivator of players. He just knew what to say and how to coach each guy. You can’t teach that skill.

 

[Chuck 54]

I can only guarantee two things if Jimmy was still coach and had power.
He would never let us ignore the trenches like we have. We’d be loaded on the DL and OL.
We would have LBs.

 

[rambo2]

This is going to sound like a knock on Coach Mac whom I think is a good Coach, but Jimmy is in the ROH and HOF for a reason. And Coach Mac has every bit the chance to do it for himself too.

But besides our franchise owning the NFL record for all-time Lombardi Trophies, here is what else we'd see if Jimmy pulled a Belichick or Parcells and was still coaching late in life this year.

• Can't help but feel like him and DQ would hit it off nicely. They have similar strategies and I think would be good compliments. Jimmy would build a better line and safeties to support DQ's fast players. He would push the fiery DQ's buttons the right way just like he did Waanstedt and our defense truly would be Doomsday III.
• Jimmy would support #11's podcasts and whatever he wanted to do off the field as long as he brought it but have to think he would shut up the blame game on the refs, or at least drive #11 HARD.
• The pressure on Dak would be even more intense. Trey Lance is a Jimmy supported type move, but I honestly don't know how the Cooper Rush situation would have worked out last year. Even Aikman was benched for a hot backup. Jimmy was about WINNING first and probably would have developed Dak better than he has been up until this point.
• Zeke, Witten, etc all would have been gone earlier and team would have their replacements already groomed. No favorites when you lose your speed.
• Steele would be benched this year and there would be a young player worth replacing him that Jimmy found in the draft.
• Hunter would be in deep doodoo if he fumbled the ball again this week.
• Maher would have been cut before the SF game last year.

Jimmy would have passed away a few years ago.

 

[Creeper]

The league is so different now than when he coached. To start, there is the salary CAP that would make it hard for him to churn the roster as much as he likes to. But also the CBA would prevent him from working his players as hard as he did.

I would say the one difference he might make today is not drafting stupid players. I do no think he would have drafted Kelvin Joseph or Sam Williams. In fact, he may have passed on a bunch of Cowboys draft picks for one reason or another.