Jimmy Johnson is one of a handful of coaches to find success at both the NFL and NCAA levels, and he has some advice for the latest person trying to do it.
Johnson believes Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer must utilize his knowledge from recruiting the top college players and bring in talent in order to succeed at the NFL level.
“When I went to the Cowboys, I had never coached in professional football and I was going to a team that had three straight losing seasons,” Johnson told Analis Bailey of USA Today. “They were the worst team in the league record-wise. And I realized that there wasn’t enough talent there. But I knew the players. I had been in these players’ homes. I was in Troy Aikman’s home his sophomore year in high school.
“(Meyer) knows all of the great players around the country. So utilize that expertise to bring in talent. So if he brings in the right coaches and he brings in the right talent he is going to be successful.”
It does come down to talent, and Johnson is right about that. In college, Meyer led a program that could offer top recruits things that most programs couldn’t. That included the chance to win a championship and high-level facilities. That won’t be true in the NFL, where he’ll face much stiffer competition.
Johnson clearly believes Meyer can succeed. Some others are much more skeptical. Only time will tell.
