Former Cowboy Coach Johnson Reels in TV Job

Jimmy Johnson, saying a coach can only fish for so long, accepted a job Thursday as a studio commentator for the Fox network.

He will work with Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and a yet-to-be-named host on Fox’s Los Angeles-based one-hour shows before NFL games on Sunday mornings.

Asked if the television job was for one year only, the former Dallas Cowboy coach said, “There’s a possibility, a strong possibility, that I’ll do it for more than one year, but I’m also not closing the door on coaching.”

According to industry sources, he will make $650,000 from Fox, and $250,000 more if, as expected, he signs to work for HBO as well.

With HBO, Johnson would be part of the pay-cable network’s critically acclaimed Thursday night show, “Inside the NFL.”

“There’s a strong possibility an announcement (regarding HBO) will be forthcoming in the next few days,” Johnson said.

Ross Greenburg, the executive producer for HBO sports, concurred and also took a shot at Fox for “trying to blow us out of the water.”

“They tried to demand exclusivity, and I didn’t appreciate that, to be honest about it,” Greenburg said. “But Jimmy was professional enough to stand up for us.”

ESPN and Turner Broadcasting also made bids for Johnson’s expertise as a studio analyst, but because they are both cable entities, he couldn’t also have worked for HBO had he chosen one of them.

Ed Goren, the executive producer for Fox sports, said a host for the network’s NFL pregame show won’t be announced for a while.

Greg Gumbel, whose CBS contract expires this fall, is considered the front-runner. Roy Firestone is also a candidate.

Goren said that because the Fox show will be one hour, there will be plenty of room for everyone.

Johnson said he got to know Bradshaw when he was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech.

Johnson said he coached Long in the 1979 Blue-Gray game.

Johnson, who has been doing coach’s shows for about 25 years, said that with Fox he hopes to add “some in-house knowledge and convey that to the viewer.”

Will he be critical?

“If you’ll check the record, I was not that reserved when someone was paying my salary, and I don’t think I’ll be that reserved now.”

He also said, “I’m not going to go out of my way to take a shot at anyone, but I’m not going to change my personality. I’m just going to give opinions.”