Troy Aikman

Related Biography: Coach Jimmy Johnson

One of only five NFL head coaches to lead a team to back-to-back Super Bowl victories, Jimmy Johnson came to the Dallas Cowboys the same year as Aikman and exerted a profound influence on the future direction of the quarterback's career. It was Johnson and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who rebuilt the Cowboys offensive line around the talent of Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin, who came to be known as "The Triplets."

Rarely has a coach had to assume a new post under more daunting circumstances than Johnson experienced in 1989, when Jones named his old college roommate to succeed the legendary Tom Landry as coach of the Cowboys. Fans, stunned and angry by the abrupt removal of Landry, initially gave Johnson the coldest reception imaginable. But Johnson proved himself, coaching the Cowboys to two consecutive Super Bowl victories in his four years at the helm of the team.

He was born James Craig Johnson in Port Arthur, Texas, on July 16, 1943. Although he was not particularly big or strong, Johnson proved himself a competitive scrapper, winning all-state football honors in high school and a football scholarship to the University of Arkansas. He began his coaching career as a defensive line coach at Louisiana Tech and worked at a number of high schools and colleges in the region before landing the head coaching job at Oklahoma State. During his four years at Oklahoma State, Johnson twice coached his team to bowl games. From Oklahoma State, Johnson moved to head coach at the University of Miami, which he guided to a phenomenal 52-9 record over four seasons.