Jerry Jones Fires Tom Landry in '89

[whcanuck]

Any Dallas Cowboys fans want to shed some light on this extremely controversial move? Yes, the Cowboys were not in a good place in the 1980s and Jimmy Johnson was brought in and turned the team in to a Super Bowl champion in just 4 years. The Cowboys then won back to back titles and a 3rd in 1995 after Barry Switzer replaced Johnson amid a power struggle with Owner Jerry Jones.

But at the time, this had to be a real controversial move. It still seems to be among a lot of Cowboys fans. Landry was an icon, the only coach the Cowboys had ever had and a 2x Super Bowl Champion. Jones came in immediately and dismissed Landry. What's the backstory? Any reasons beyond football that this happened?

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[Blackhawkswincup]

Jones wanted to bring in his guy Jimmy and the Cowboys needed to tear down everything at that point and rebuild from ground up

There were also issues between coaching staff as well as with players especially the younger one's

 

[tony d]

Landry was one of the best coaches ever still by 1989 it was time for him to move on. So it was a move you can't fault Jerry for doing.

 

[fin8]

Jerry said when he bought the Cowboys, the best thing that he’d done, was when he hired Jimmy. If they didn’t clash heads, I think they bring home 2 more titles.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Jimmy Johnson was brought in
But at the time, this had to be a real controversial move. It still seems to be among a lot of Cowboys fans. Landry was an icon..

An aspect that I thought was funny about that transition (my recollection, growing up in Redskins country).. When Johnson came in, Dallas only won one game that first year. It was against Washington; and the Redskins were still a really good franchise at the time.

Even tho that was a dismal season for Dallas, Cowboy fans were still talking trash about that single division win. It was comical,.. but Jones & Johnson were vindicated pretty quickly.

 

[PanthersPens62]

The game passed him by....just as it eventually passed Chuck Noll & Don Shula by.

 

[KIRK]

The Backstory on Firing A Coaching Legend: Tom Landry

At the time, Jones took a lot of **** for it. And the 1-15 season that followed certainly didn't endear him to fans any further.

Yes, the move certainly worked out for him, but even Jerry Jones says in hindsight he'd have waited a year: https://www.espn.com/dallas/nfl/sto...dallas-cowboys-says-regrets-firing-tom-landry

But, you'll never know for sure if he's serious or just talking.

BTW, read that backstory article. Apparently, Landry promised to quit a few years before Jones bought the team. The Cowboys were ready to hire Schottenheimer. Then, Landry changed his mind. And, Bum Bright, the team owner, couldn't fire him because of some clause in his purchase deal. Apparently, Bright hated Landry by the end and turned down more money from two other buyers because only Jones promised to fire Landry. No idea if it's true, but totally wild . . .

 

[KIRK]

The game passed him by....just as it eventually passed Chuck Noll & Don Shula by.

Shula made 4 playoffs in his last 6 years and his worst record during that span was 8-8. The game hadn't passed him by like it did Landry.

As for Noll, 1991 was his last year, and he was NFL coach of the year in 1989 in what many called the finest coaching job of his career. It actually wasn't the game passing him by as a coach that did him in. Noll had final say over personnel matters, and it was work as de facto GM that did him in (watch From Elway to Marino and think what might have been if everyone else in the Steelers organization had their say in who the Steelers should take in the '83 draft).

 

[John Price]

In the end Jerry got what he wanted which was rings

Could have handled the dismissal of Landry better though

 

[John Price]

Interesting that he fired gil Brandt in 1989 too

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Jones and Jimmy Johnson shouldn't have been photographed getting drunk together at a Dallas restaurant before firing Landry. And Jones should not have fired Landry at a golf course. However, the game had clearly passed the once innovative Landry by. Keeping Landry for another 2 years, like Landry wanted, maybe would have been a good PR move, but would have been disastrous on field. With Landry hanging on through 1990, Johnson would have been hired by another NFL team and Dallas would not have won one Super Bowl, let alone three, in the 1990's.

 

[Voight]

Interesting that he fired gil Brandt in 1989 too

Schramm quit as well, but Jones would have fired him anyway.

Jerry said when he bought the Cowboys, the best thing that he’d done, was when he hired Jimmy. If they didn’t clash heads, I think they bring home 2 more titles.

Johnson's NCAA experience and connections were the reason the 'Boys hit on so many draft picks.

 

[Hasbro]

Jones and Jimmy Johnson shouldn't have been photographed getting drunk together at a Dallas restaurant before firing Landry. And Jones should not have fired Landry at a golf course. However, the game had clearly passed the once innovative Landry by. Keeping Landry for another 2 years, like Landry wanted, maybe would have been a good PR move, but would have been disastrous on field. With Landry hanging on through 1990, Johnson would have been hired by another NFL team and Dallas would not have won one Super Bowl, let alone three, in the 1990's.

And missed out on the Herschel Walker Trade.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

And missed out on the Herschel Walker Trade.

Exactly. The Cowboys would have been in a massive rebuild in the early 90's without the Walker trade.