Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 30, 1994                   TAG: 9403300124
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From Dallas Morning News and Associated Press reports
DATELINE: DALLAS                                LENGTH: Long

JIMMY JOHNSON WASN'T SURE OF THE PROPER WORD

What Jones has described as "one of the greatest stories in sports" reached a bizarre conclusion at the team's Valley Ranch headquarters after the Dallas Cowboys coach and owner met for a little more than an hour Tuesday morning. After five years and consecutive Super Bowl titles the past two seasons, Johnson said it was a "mutual decision" that he no longer serve as coach.

Johnson and Jones each claimed last week's verbal battle in the media, which began with the owner's threats to fire Johnson, had nothing to do with Tuesday's separation. For more than 30 minutes, they sat side by side and assured the huge news media assemblage that they were parting as friends, had enjoyed their years together and that all was in the best interest for the future of the franchise.

"We've had hours of candid discussions the last two days," said Johnson, "and I can sincerely tell you that I feel better today about Jerry Jones as a friend than I have in our entire relationship. After our discussions, we mutually decided I would no longer be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys."

Jones refused to discuss possible successors, although last week's mention of former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer may be more realistic than first believed. With all the current Cowboys' assistants under contract for 1994, Jones needs to hire someone who won't be interested in bringing along his own staff. Switzer has been out of coaching since the 1988 season.

Jones contacted Switzer immediately after reaching a settlement with Johnson and considers the former Oklahoma coach his top candidate as Johnson's replacement, a source close to the team said. Jones has known Switzer since 1962, when they were teammates at Arkansas.

"If I was offered the job, I probably would accept it," Switzer told The Daily Oklahoman by car phone.

As for Johnson, the buyout of his contract was not detailed. Jones called it "a big-time thank you," but now Johnson is free to pursue coaching jobs. Johnson had five years remaining on a contract with Jones that restricted him from pursuing other jobs.

Johnson said it's unlikely that he will coach anywhere in 1994 but said he expects to be coaching after that.

"Personally, I think it was time to pull back some," said Johnson, who met Jones when they were teammates at Arkansas during the early 1960s. "I have always been 100 percent totally into it, but as Jerry was starting to see, I was starting to lose my focus."

Johnson told a friend recently that it was tough to come back from trips to Miami, where he coached the University of Miami Hurricanes for five seasons and won one national title. In the past, Johnson has taken only rare, brief vacations.

Johnson said he began to sense that he was losing his drive near the end of the 1993 season. It was not evident on the field, however, where the Cowboys won their last eight games and claimed their second straight Super Bowl title. No coach has ever won three in a row.

"Our relationship is one that is different from any in the NFL," Jones said. "We mutually agreed that if we didn't look out, we would take one of the greatest stories ever told in sports, take all those positives and turn it into something that we didn't think would be in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys.

"This isn't something that has just been frivolously talked about. We have analyzed this from stem to stern."

Jones said he intends to periodically consult Johnson. "I've probably asked him for advice in three different areas in the last few hours," he said.

When tough questions were asked of Jones, Johnson almost always intervened on the owner's behalf. Just three days earlier, Johnson had said Jones was a man he could no longer respect or trust. He said winning a third Super Bowl had lost meaning as long as Jones was the owner. On Tuesday, he did nothing but credit Jones for his contributions to their mutual success.

"There's no way in the world we could have accomplished what we did without each other," Johnson said. "Some people might describe it as rocky, but something about our relationship worked."

Johnson didn't call it burnout, but he indicated pressure of the job was a factor in his decision.

"I don't think anybody in this room or anybody watching really understands until they've walked in our shoes what this is about," Johnson said. "You think there was pressure in the 1989 season when we lost all but one game? But there's just as much pressure to win a Super Bowl and to win another Super Bowl."

If there is a candidate on the current staff to lead the Cowboys, it is defensive coordinator Butch Davis. He said Tuesday he would be interested in the job.

Johnson said only that he wants to see the best man get the job.

"I want the next head coach to be the best coach there is," he said. "I've got confidence Jerry will research and pick the best there is."

Johnson and Jones shook hands after Johnson's opening statement, in which he announced that he was leaving. After the news conference, they hugged. Between, they continually deflected all questioning of the timing of the change.

It reached a laughable stage when Johnson said at one point, "We're going through a little transition here." When the media interrupted him with its laughter, Johnson smiled and said, "Well, maybe it's a big transition."

Johnson has compiled a 31-7 record the past two seasons, tops in the NFL. His career record with the Cowboys was 44-36 in the regular season, despite that 1-15 start. Johnson's teams were 7-1 in the postseason, the second-best winning percentage in the NFL behind Vince Lombardi's 9-1.

Jones and Johnson each denied that Jones' efforts to exercise more control was a factor. "Really, 99 percent of every decision was made working together," Johnson said.

Said Jones: "Jimmy, did I ever try to call a play? The facts are that we never had a disagreement when it came to football."

To many, Jones now will be regarded as the man who fired Tom Landry and ran Johnson out of town. The owner's reaction: "Well, they will just have to keep pointing fingers at me. I think we have more Cowboys fans now than we had in 1989, and there was a lot of skepticism then. But I've always committed everything I've ever done to the Dallas Cowboys."

Keywords:
FOOTBALL