Jimmy Johnson, who won two Super Bowls and a national championship as a coach, has announced his retirement from Fox Sports after being a part of its NFL coverage for 31 years.
The 81-year-old Johnson made the announcement Monday 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.
“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 swager, one-of-a-kind inside and signature humor.”
Johnson won Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys for the 1992-93 seasons and the college football national championship with Miami in 1987.
Johnson coached the Cowboys for five seasons, stepping down after winning his second Lombardi Trophy and three months later was hired as a Fox NFL pregame show analyst. He left in 1996 to become general manager and coach of the Miami Dolphins. He returned to Fox in 2002.
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.