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THE HERD - Hour 3 - Jimmy Johnson stops by The Herd - The Herd with Colin Cowherd | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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THE HERD - Hour 3 - Jimmy Johnson stops by The Herd

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Wed Jan 28 2026

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: THE HERD - Hour 3 - Jimmy Johnson stops by The Herd
Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Herd focuses on the controversial news that Bill Belichick was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first attempt—an event that sent shockwaves through the sports world. Colin Cowherd invites Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson to discuss why Belichick was snubbed, the Hall of Fame voting process, the impact of personality and relationships in sports recognition, and broader topics around football coaching, legacy, and recent developments in the NFL.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub

Voting Process Changes & Historic Context
- The Hall recently changed eligibility rules, so coaches can be considered for induction a year after retirement instead of waiting five years (unlike players).
- Historic coaching figures like Don Shula, Bill Walsh, Vince Lombardi, and Joe Gibbs all had to wait; some not getting in on their first opportunity.
Why Didn't Belichick Get In?
- Jimmy Johnson’s View:
  - “Coaches are a lot older than players and you'd like to get the coach in before he's dead... because of the age of coaches, it's not like they're going to retire when they're 31. They're going to retire when they're 65.” (03:11)
  - Snub is “so wrong...look at all the division wins. Look at eight Super Bowls, six of them as a head coach, second all time winningest coach in history.” (04:17)
- Media & Owner Influence:
  - Belichick’s notorious lack of media friendliness and tense relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft are discussed as possible reasons for the snub.
  - Jimmy Johnson acknowledges, “He wasn't the most pleasant to the media...some of them use the excuse of Spygate, which is totally ridiculous.” (04:17)
  - Colin adds, “In life a lot of decisions are made when you’re not in the room and Bill alienated a lot of people.” (15:59)
Spygate and Signal Stealing:
- Johnson defends Belichick by saying sign-stealing has long been a part of the game: “Every team in the league tried to steal the opponent's signals before they had electronic communication… we tried it. We were horrible at it.” (05:15)
Process & Perception:
- Seth Wickersham (reporter): “Belichick was expecting he was going to get 49 votes… he didn’t come close to 40. A lot of voters didn’t know he hadn’t gotten in… this is an embarrassment for all of us.” (09:12)
- Johnson on flawed voting: “Some of the media might have said… ‘it's a slam dunk that Bill's going in, so I'm going to vote for so and so because I know Bill's going in.’” (10:04)

2. Personal Impact on Belichick

Does It Hurt Him?
- “I think it hurts him.” – Jimmy Johnson (07:29)
- Johnson shares that even Belichick himself was invested, hoping to see Johnson at the Hall. Johnson chartered a flight to attend Belichick’s presumed induction – “Well, I canceled that flight. I'm not going.” (08:46)
Legacy and Quarterbacks
- Johnson dismisses the narrative that Belichick only succeeded because of Tom Brady: “How many Hall of Fame coaches didn’t have a great quarterback? I had Troy Aikman, Noel had Terry Bradshaw, Walsh had Joe Montana…” (07:31)

3. Evaluating Belichick as a Coach

Belichick’s Strengths and Weaknesses (per Johnson):
- “He is a great situation coach. He's a great fundamental coach. He coaches all phases… as a pure coach, he's the best I’ve ever known.” (10:46)
- “Personnel wise, hey, you can take him or leave him… as a coach, as a pure coach, he’s the best I’ve ever known.” (11:14)

4. Super Bowl & Quarterback Discussion

Focus shifted briefly to Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ Super Bowl prospects.
- Johnson: Darnold’s prior experiences “taught him to be more protective with the football… Now he knows he’s got a great defense. He knows that he can be patient, take his time…” (12:27)

5. Miami Hurricanes & College Football

Colin asks about Mario Cristobal’s growth as a coach at Miami.
- Johnson: “He grew as a coach. He got a lot better… And you’re right, he’s a great recruiter. We just signed the top quarterback, top transfer portal out of Duke, and a receiver and one of the top pass rushers from Missouri. We've got the players.” (14:27)
- Johnson stresses importance of assistant coaches: “The reason I went to the hall of Fame, I had great players and I had great assistant coaches.” (15:27)

6. Wider NFL & NBA News

Discussion on Kansas City Chiefs’ struggles and Andy Reid’s off-season.
Colin and J. Mac debate LeBron James’ statements on the differences between playing today versus in the '80s/'90s NBA—a brief, lively exchange about eras, pace, physicality, and athleticism.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Hall of Fame Candidacy & Age:
- “[Coaches] need to go in, you know, really, before they get to the point where they can't enjoy it.”
  — Jimmy Johnson (03:11)
On Media Relationships:
- “He wasn't the most pleasant to the media back when he coached. You just don't know.”
  — Jimmy Johnson (04:17)
- “I do think when you start looking at…in life, a lot of decisions are made when you’re not in the room and Bill alienated a lot of people.”
  — Colin Cowherd (15:59)
On Coaching Process:
- “If you're going to win championships, it can't be one individual. There’s a lot of people involved in that.”
  — Jimmy Johnson (15:27)
On Belichick’s Legacy Without Brady:
- “It is interesting…when you take Brady out of his career, he wins 44% of his games. That’s Anthony Lynn now.”
  — Colin Cowherd (32:33)
On the Owner-Coach Dynamic:
- “The coach has never had power in this league over the owner. Now, sometimes the owners, they hold grudges. It gets personal. And that's what money does to men.”
  — Colin Cowherd (32:33)
On Hall Voting Process:
- “Some of the media might have said, ‘Well, it's a slam dunk that Bill's going in…’ And so it could have been the process of picking the hall of Fame candidates, but that's still no excuse.”
  — Jimmy Johnson (41:53)

Important Timestamps

[03:11] Johnson on why the age of coaches justifies new HOF rules
[04:17] Johnson’s reaction to Belichick not getting in, discusses media and Kraft influences
[05:15] Johnson on Spygate and the tradition of sign-stealing
[07:29] Johnson: “I think it hurts him” — on whether Belichick cares about the snub
[09:12] Seth Wickersham unveils voter confusion and lack of consensus
[10:46] Johnson details what makes Belichick a coaching legend
[12:27] Johnson on Sam Darnold's maturity and Seahawks’ Super Bowl outlook
[14:27] Johnson credits Mario Cristobal’s growth at Miami and the significance of strong assistants
[15:59] Colin contextualizes Hall voting and the impact of Belichick’s personality

Tone and Style

The conversation balances passionate advocacy (Johnson defending Belichick's credentials) with Colin’s characteristic measured, big-picture analysis. The energy is opinionated yet respectful, alternating between industry insights and sports radio banter.

Summary Takeaway

The episode centers on the Hall of Fame's controversial snub of Bill Belichick, dissecting the process, human dynamics, and the often-unseen politics influential in professional sports recognition. Through candid anecdotes and football philosophy, Jimmy Johnson and Colin Cowherd underscore the uniqueness of Belichick's career, the factors that play into legacy, and how even greatness can fall victim to timing, perception, and interpersonal friction.

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Transcript

Colin Cowherd (0:00)

This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human I'm Colin Coward from the Herd. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. In the latest season, hosts Austin Hanquitz and Jenise Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you to get more done in less time. You don't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Levar Arrington (0:39)

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Colin Cowherd (1:13)

More@Applecard.Com thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Well, it's been the story of the day. Bill Belichick, who will get into the hall of Fame, but it shocked a lot of people that he did not get in. Now, we've talked about this today. The strange thing about hall of Fame voting is they just tweaked the voting so now coaches can get in one year after they leave the sport. Players, doesn't matter if you're the greatest player in the world, you got to wait five years. But. But we said earlier, Don Shul is the winningest coach ever. He had to wait five years. For the record, Bill Walsh, arguably the most innovative coach ever, did not get in the first time he was eligible. Vince Lombardi didn't, and Joe Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks, did not. But there's a sense with Belichick. I mean, come on, he's got this cachet of rings and again, I would have voted him in. I get it. But my argument is when you start looking at people who didn't get in and they had to wait five years to begin with. Our next guest is somebody that waited far too long, one of the great coaches of all time, Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Famer. FOX Sports is now joining us live down, as you know, in the Keys. So listen, I would have voted him in, but my take is when a Lombardi or a Walsh or a Joe Gibbs or a Jimmy Johnson or a Parcels who won a Super bowl with Jeff Hostetler and Sims, can you not argue? Well, those guys had to wait. Why can't Bill? Isn't that a legit argument?

Jimmy Johnson (4:17)

Well, I don't really think I've had three hours sleep ever since the news came out last night because it's so wrong. You know, look at the accolades. You know, look at all the division wins. Look at eight Super Bowls, six of them as a head coach, second all time winning is coach in history. And so I'm not going to talk about the accolades. I'm just going to say, okay, why did he not go in? I'm searching my own mind. Why did he not go in? Did Kraft, because him and Kraft were at odds at one another. Did he have an influence? Did some of the media have an influence because he didn't give him an interview. He wasn't the most pleasant to the media back when he coached. You just don't know. Some of them use the excuse of Spygate, which is totally ridiculous. Every team in the league before they had electronic communication from sideline to the field. Every team in the league tried to steal the opponent's signals, whether or not it be an assistant coach studying the opponent on how he was signaling, whether or not they're doing one thing. We actually picked it up from Kansas City. Howard Mudd was a great offensive line coach, and they had some outstanding teams, but he was at Kansas City, and a scout told us, says, here's how we do it. You know, we actually filmed the opponent's signal caller, then we match it up with the film with their signals. And so I said, hey, that's a great idea. We tried doing it. We were horrible at it. It really took up too much time because it's only got a few seconds that you can get it in. But we watched Kansas City. The offensive guard will look over at Howard Mudd on the sideline, and he'd give him a signal whether or not it was going to be man coverage or zone coverage or a blitz, et cetera, et cetera. So, like I said, we tried it. You know, we didn't do very good at it. We stopped doing it after a couple of weeks. But, you know, teams have been trying this, you know, ever since, you know, they had signals before they did the electronic communication.

Colin Cowherd (28:58)

I like positive people. J Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. I don't think it the end of the world. Like the jets have been bad forever. What's one more year? And next year you're going to have five or six. I mean I think the jets are going to end up winning like three games. I mean max four that they're going to the first or second pick and you're going to have like six quarterbacks next year. Arch Manning is going to be available and you'll be moving on to a new coach and a new staff. And we saw what New England did with Vrabel. You get the right coach with Ben Johnson, Vrabel it folks, it doesn't take long. I mean you're dealing with 25, 28, 30, 31. You're going to have a ton of cap room. You're going to have a new coach, a new quarterback. They're going to be bad this year. So what? They've been bad forever. You're a year away from being very, very positive. I mean the New York Giants have been a mess for a decade. Every Giant fan is so fired up for the season. Why? John Harbaugh is an excellent coach. Jackson Dart is talented enough to be a starter. You know, they've got some really, really nice elements along the defensive line and its skill positions. Giants are going to be good. It's just, you know, some of this stuff, some of these organizations have to bottom out. Like Pittsburgh Steelers are not comfortable bottoming out. Albert Breer said last hour they don't want to be terrible. I don't, I don't really get that way of thinking at all. But that's the way Pittsburgh thinks they want to be viable. And I think if Aaron plays in Mike McCarthy, they will be. They'll win like nine games. They're not going to win a Super bowl and maybe that. And they'll get a mid first round pick and they'll need another quarterback. The story of the day is obviously Bill Belichick not getting in. People are outraged. I have criticized the media before for something it's not the end of the world. He's going to get in. People are all worked up. The great thing about politics and sports, it's what people argue about and debate about in bars. Like, it's great. He's going to get in. He's obviously a Hall of Famer. I would have voted him in. But when you looked at Bill Walsh, did not get in first time he was eligible. Vince Lombardi didn't. Joe Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks, didn't get in. Don Shuler, the winning as coach had to wait five years until he was eligible. You know, they changed the methodology. Now Bill Belichick can get in just, you know, a year or two after he leaves the sport. Okay, that's never been the case. So I do think some voters are like, wait a minute. All these other coaches waited, but Brady's got to wait. And Brady's career defines Belichick's winning. We're going to make him wait a year. And a few guys talk themselves out of it. Shouldn't have. It should be a yes or no vote. I would have voted him in. But, I mean, stuff like this happens. It's one of the great things about sports is today. You can contextualize it, talk about it. Here's Seth Wickersham on, you know, why he thinks maybe Belichick came up short.

Colin Cowherd (32:33)

Now, there's a lot of talk about Spygate, and I think there's. Listen you. The 2007 Super bowl week, Roger Goodell is sitting there having to answer questions about Spygate. That ticked him off. It ticked a lot of owners off. It ticked a lot of people off. And the NFL, I think it was Seth Wickersham who told us, had warned Belichick for seven years about the taping. Okay? So, you know, there. There's a Lot of things that go into the process. Take a deep breath. Bill's going to get in. He's an all time great coach. It has not ended well. You know, it's not been the greatest ending to a movie. And I'm sure Bill is disappointed. And by the way, that's why you bring Jimmy Johnson on the show to defend it. He. I think he is. It is. It is interesting, though, that when you take Brady out of his career, he wins 44% of his games. That's Anthony Lynn now. Now, do we hold him to a higher level? And was he very vital in those early Super Bowls where Brady wasn't fully developed? Of course. But it just shows you. I mean, I've always said this about Andy Reid and Joe Gibbs and Don Shula. They got the Super Bowls with multiple guys. Parcells won a Super bowl with Jeff Hostetler and Phil Sims, and he was Belichick's mentor. So it's also interesting how many great coaches. Parcells had issues with Jerry Jones and Kraft. Jimmy had issues with, you know, Jerry Jones, Bills, Belichick had issues with Kraft. You know, the pro football. The coach has a lot of power. You can cut anybody basically anytime you want. The one person they don't have power over is the owner. Because most coaches, when they get to 15, 18 million or whatever they make now, and it's been this way a long time, whoever's making, if you have a big gap in. In. In earnings between coach and GM McVay and less sneed if the gap is significant, the coach has the power. The owner's paying one guy this, the other guy that. But they don't have power over the owner. And as owners now are worth billions of dollars, not Hundreds of millions, 8, 12, 15, $18 billion, they have gotten A, much more impulsive and B, much more willing, little vindictive to just rip up contracts and start over. So the coach has never had power in this league over the owner. Now, sometimes the owners, they hold grudges. It gets personal. And that's what money does to men. You know, it's. It. There's a lot of people pushing back at Robert Kraft, and I'm not, I'm not sure they're wrong on that. But that relationship has deteriorated badly. And owners are usually going to win because they're the boss of Roger Goodell. That's just the reality of it. You can argue it, you can think it's wrong. I'm not saying it's right, but you know, the owners run this league. When I mean, when Jerry Jones complained, however long ago, we have to protect our quarterbacks. It's my number one asset. I'm paying my quarterback all this money and you're letting people take shots at them. Suddenly the rules change. Right now you can't touch quarterbacks. Well, who do you think instituted that? Not defensive coaches, not defensive coordinators. That's owners. I'm paying this guy 50 million. I need him upright. Protect them. So you know, it it it's been a fun day. Live in Chicago, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. I'm Colin Coward from the Herd. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or or thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories for iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry. In their latest season, hosts Austin Henkwitz and Janie Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business. They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. And using Inuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (42:31)

Yeah. And yeah. And that is the overwhelming sentiment today. I do think the hall of Fames will survive baseball. I mean, it was a 15 year topic on Barry Bonds for any radio host. 15 years. We argued about, you know, and my argument was always. I always argued, actually, I think that was the opposite of cost. This my take was we don't know any of the answers, so I'm going to let all of them in. I'm not going to punish Bonds because half the pitchers throwing to them are on steroids. And so unless you have all the answers, let them all in. That was, I think that was my all was my take on it is everybody thought they knew. And then all of a sudden the Mitchell Report comes out and there's various reports, oh, that guy too. I mean, there were people that obviously, you know, their numbers wildly spiked. But my take was. And batters got on the juice before the pitchers, but a pitchers eventually got on the juice too. So my take is if you didn't have all the answers in baseball, you really didn't know. Everybody that was on it, let them all in. It was Royd guy against Roy guy. It was cream against cream. The BALCO lab against this lab on the East Coast. You didn't know, let them all in. Otherwise you're kind of cherry picking on, you know, the Mitchell Report focused on a couple of clubhouses. Well, what about that clubhouse and that clubhouse? The Mitchell Report didn't focus on those clubhouses. So, you know, and my take is, Bill's going to get in. Lombardi got in, Gibbs got in, Walsh got in. I think a lot of young people don't under. They underestimate how great Joe Gibbs was and they underestimate how great Bill Walsh was. People copied Bill Walsh. His coaching tree is legendary. Hell, at one point it felt like half of the league's coaches came from. You were using Walsh's offense or came from his coaching tree. I mean, he had so much influence. I mean, you talk to older coaches now, they talk about the late Bill Walsh in utter reverence. And so whereas Belichick doesn't have much of a coaching tree, but the guys he's close to, the handful of guys he's close to, he is really close to. And Jimmy Johnson is one of those guys. So it is crazy though, the influence Brady has on Belichick's career. It really is amazing. Belichick without Brady, his teams average 19 points a game with Brady is closer to 29, 30. He won 77% of his games with Brady, 44, 45% without like it. And it just goes to show you, it doesn't matter if it's broadcasting or quarterback play. Brady's impact, I mean, he's just. It's just substantial. And as good as a coach is, that's why I always said Andy Reid's underrated. Annie Reid got to a Super bowl with, with Donovan McNabb, who is considered, you know, okay, above average. But I mean, Andy Reid won with virtually everybody. Well, he didn't win Super Bowl. Well, I mean, Belichick's winning 45% of his. He had Drew bled, so that's pretty good, right? You had Cam Newton at the end. I mean, so, you know, this stuff out there is. I think it's a fascinating topic. I once had a Heisman vote. I always thought that was insanely provincial and regional. The west coast guy would vote for this guy. The Southern guy would vote for that guy. I thought it was just nonsense. J. Mac, fun show today. Would you have voted him in? J. Mac?