In the late 1980s, the Dallas Cowboys were a franchise in turmoil, coming off a dismal 3-13 season. Enter Jimmy Johnson, a brash, no-nonsense coach who had just led the Miami Hurricanes to a national championship. He brought with him a philosophy of discipline, accountability, and a relentless drive to win. Johnson’s arrival marked the beginning of a transformative era for the Cowboys, setting the stage for a remarkable turnaround.

And right alongside Jimmy, there was Michael Irvin, the former Miami receiver and Jimmy’s former protégé, who stepped up big time. Irvin was fed up and pissed with losing seasons and how careless the team became with winning. What did Irvin do? After a brutal 3–13 season, Irvin had had enough. He walked into Jimmy’s office with a list of players he felt weren’t committed to winning. He called them out, demanding change. Jimmy listened.

That moment set the tone for a culture shift, where only those fully invested in the team’s success would remain. The legendary head coach then masterminded the Herschel Walker trade, snagged Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and had Michael Irvin on the roster already. That move ignited Dallas, turning a 7‑9 team into a 13‑3 powerhouse by 1992. Johnson’s aggressive coaching style and draft wizardry reshaped the culture, setting the stage for back‑to‑back Super Bowls in ’92 and ’93.

It’s been three decades now, and Jerry Jones and Co. are still struggling to find a head coach of Jimmy’s caliber. And no doubt, the Dallas Nation still remembers the heroics Jimmy and Irvin pulled off. They cured the struggling Cowboys team and made it the winningest team of the NFL at that time. And the fans still remember it.

“Unless someone is a diehard Canes & Cowboys fan for the past 44 years they could never understand the attitude that @JimmyJohnson & @michaelirvin88 brought to the Dallas Cowboys after winning at Miami,” one of the Cowboys’ fans shared on their social media handle. “That Cowboys team was cancer, these 2 men brought the cure with them.” Facts. But if you’re thinking that Jimmy sees all of this as a cure, then you’re mistaken.

In fact, the former Cowboys’ head coach called the Cowboys’ transformation swagger. Right after that post was shared on ‘X’, Jimmy took a moment to re-share it and penned down a three-word simple message that summed it all up. “It’s called “Swagger !” Jimmy Johnson wrote on his official ‘X’ handle. Jimmy took over the head coaching role of the Cowboys after Jerry Jones and Co. parted ways with Tom Landry.

Landry was a legendary head coach, no doubt. He transformed Dallas into a powerhouse in the 70s and early 80s, but the late 80s went south. From 1985 to 1988, the Cowboys’ records were 10–6, 7–9, 7–8, and 3–13, respectively. The mess was real and included several factors. Whether ageing players, poor draft selection, you name it. And when Jerry took the helm, it was time to change. And Jimmy Johnson’s hiring cured the Cowboys’ struggles in the early ’90s.

The first couple of seasons didn’t turn out well for the head coach. Dallas finished with 1-15 and 7-9 back in ’89 and ’90. But when Irvin decided to flip the script in Dallas and walked into Jimmy’s office to call out the players who were not fitting in with the team, everything just clicked. Dallas finished 2nd in the NFC East in ’91 and went on to win Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII in the next two seasons. That was the Jimmy Johnson and Michael Irvin effect.

When Michael Irvin got emotional recalling Jimmy Johnson’s era in Dallas

“How ’bout them Cowboys?” Those words from Jimmy Johnson echoed in the Cowboys’ locker room as America’s team was gearing up for the 1993 playoffs. With Jimmy their leader, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and the whole unit had just one ambition. To win their first Super Bowl after 1978. Then came January 31, 1993, and the rest is history. The Dallas Cowboys liked the Super Bowl win, so they did it one more time the very next year.

And Irvin still recalls those days with his head coach in Dallas. A few months ago, Irvin was stopped by the Fanatics View Podcast on YouTube. The Cowboys legend was asked about his ups and downs and learnings during his time with the Cowboys. And he recalled the time in 1988 before Jimmy arrived in Dallas. And the former Cowboys receiver literally broke down.

“Then Jimmy came in that next year, and what Jimmy did, he even took it to another level. Jimmy took it off the football field, and I’m… I mean… I get emotional talking about it because he was so good,” Irvin tried to fight back the tears, but they came anyway. “A lot of guys coming from a lot of broken areas—we had nothing, man, and we all knew it.”

Irvin recalled the better days with Jimmy Johnson, which he, along with his teammates, lived during their NFL journey. No wonder the man broke down during the podcast. The Fanatics View shared a clip on their social media handle, writing, “Michael Irvin Gets Emotional With Jesse Holley Speaking on Jimmy Johnson impact on him.” 

Right after that went down, Jimmy penned down an emotional note for his former receiver. “Michael has always been one of my SPECIAL GUYS! Love him!” The former Cowboys’ head coach wrote. Safe to say that even though Jimmy left the Cowboys three decades ago, the memories of him in that locker room are still fresh.