WATCH: Jimmy Johnson stops by Miami practice, sends message to team
It’s a new era for the Miami Hurricanes, with head coach Mario Cristobal looking to rejuvenate a program that has failed to meet expectations for years. Even so, some of the old blood in Coral Gables is still involved, especially former national championship-winning head coach Jimmy Johnson.
Speaking to the Hurricanes after another spring practice on Thursday, Johnson gave an inspiring message to the team. He talked about the old Miami teams he used to coach, talking about how much swagger they had and having fun while playing football.
“It’s called something that started right here in Miami,” Johnson said. “Swagger. And people get confused about swagger. Sometimes, they look up at the old Miami teams and they said ‘swagger is celebrating.’ No, swagger was confidence. You’re confident that you’re going to kick somebody’s ass. That’s what swagger is. We were one of the least penalized teams in the entire country. We didn’t taunt. We didn’t do ******** that would get 15-yard penalties but we were excited. We celebrated. I wanted our guys to be excited, to be enthusiastic. That’s what swagger is.”
You can watch the whole video below.
Johnson spent five seasons as the head coach of Miami, being named the Walter Camp Coach of the Year in 1986. Just one season later, the Hurricanes won the national championship by going 12-0 and winning the Orange Bowl against No. 1 Oklahoma. During his overall time with Miami, Johnson went 52-9, with five of those losses coming during his first year.
The Dallas Cowboys came knocking before the 1989 season, hiring Johnson as their head coach. There, he won two Super Bowls with good friend and Dallas owner/general manager Jerry Jones. Johnson was also named the AP Coach of the Year in 1990.
Johnson comes back to the Miami program hoping to inspire the players and get back on the right track. Fans have been wanting the Johnson-esque teams to come back. Now, he’s trying to install the same mentality with a passionate speech in mid-March.