The Landry Hat
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The top 3 coaches in Dallas Cowboys history

By Jarrett Prendergast

Dec 8,1985; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry on the sideline against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8,1985; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry on the sideline against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jimmy Johnson
Jan 30, 1994; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson with the Lombardi trophy after defeating the Buffalo Bills during Super Bowl XXVIII at the Georgia Dome. Dallas defeated Buffalo 30-13. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Jimmy Johnson (1989-1993)

Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 and after 28 years, Jones decided to move on from the only head coach America’s Team had ever known in Tom Landry. Jones wanted a fresh face to revitalize the franchise, so he went to the college ranks for his first hire.

That hire was Miami Hurricanes head coach, Jimmy Johnson. Not only was Johnson new to professional football but he did not have a very good roster to start his coaching career. The 1988 Cowboys finished 3-13 and were granted the first pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.

The main focus for the Cowboys was to address the most important position in the sport: quarterback. Dallas needed a quarterback that could help lead their franchise back to the promised land. That quarterback was none other than Troy Aikman.

There were major growing pains for both Johnson and Aikman in this first season, as the team finished with a 1-15 record with Aikman going 0-11 as the starter with just 9 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

The second year under Johnson the Cowboys went 7-9, and you could already see that the team was ready to turn into something special. Over the next three seasons, the Cowboys finished 11-5, 13-3, and 12-4 and added two Super Bowl championships. This is the kind of immense turnaround Dallas fans have been waiting 26 years for.

Johnson turned the Cowboys from a laughing stock into a dynasty. His contributions to the franchise have not gone unnoticed by Jerry Jones either. The Cowboys owner said previously that Johnson will be inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. Johnson is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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