Mike Thomas spent 23 years on staff and 16 years as the sports editor at The Herald News in Fall River, Mass., before joining Sportscasting in 2020. Mike has a deep knowledge of and passion for the NFL and NBA, and he excels at interviewing sports celebrities to find out their Super Bowl picks.A New England Newspaper and Press Association award-winning columnist and an avid sports memorabilia collector, Mike enjoys keeping up with all the sports news and the works of former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly. You can find more of Mike's work on Muck Rack.
We publish independently audited information that meets our strong editorial guidelines. Be aware we may earn a commission if you purchase anything via links on our pages.
Jerry Jones is more than just the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. He also serves as the general manager. Sometimes he tries to be so hands-on, he’ll hold his own press conferences and make his way onto the field during crunch time of a game. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells worked under Jones for four years and has an opinion of the man that’s seemingly different than most.
Parcells’ early life and coaching career
RELATED: Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Has Shown Who’s Boss Since Firing the Legendary Tom Landry
In high school, Bill Parcells was quite the athlete. He excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. On the football team, he played quarterback, tight end, and linebacker. He was offered scholarships to play at Auburn and Clemson but decided to attend Colgate, according to ESPN. After one year, he transferred to Wichita State, where he played linebacker.
Parcells was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round in 1964 but was cut before the season began. Parcells’ coaching career began soon thereafter. After earning assistant coaching jobs at schools like Army, Florida State, and Wichita State, he got his first head coaching position with the Air Force in 1978. Not a fan of recruiting, Parcells eventually made his way into the NFL as linebackers coach for the New England Patriots in 1980.
He got his first NFL head coaching job with the New York Giants in 1983, going 3-12-1. The following season, Phil Simms became the starter and the Giants went 9-7 beginning a stretch where the Giants had winning seasons in six of the next seven years. Parcells also won Super Bowl XXI and XXV as the Giants head coach. He retired from the Giants in after the 1990 season but returned to coach the New England Patriots in 1993. He spent four seasons with the Patriots, earning a Super Bowl berth. Parcells then went on to coach the New York Jets for three years and then the Dallas Cowboys for four. His career record as a head coach in the NFL for 19 years is 172-130-1.
Jerry Jones has owned the Cowboys since 1989
Jerry Jones has been the owner of the Dallas Cowboys since 1989 after purchasing the team from H.R. ‘Bum’ Bright for $140 million. He received instant backlash when the first thing he did as owner was fire longtime head coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm. He replaced Schramm with himself.
There was a long-standing feud between Jones and Landry’s replacement, Jimmy Johnson. It was more of a power struggle. Although Johnson was to have the final say in personnel matters, it was Jones who took credit for the success during the three Super Bowls under Johnson. In a 1997 article in The Dallas Morning News, Jones said the Cowboys were so talented this decade that “500 coaches could have done what Jimmy did.”
Since 1997, however, the Cowboys haven’t won anything and have been the epitome of mediocrity with a 192-176 record. According to ESPN, Dale Hansen, a longtime sportscaster on WFAA in Dallas once said, “Jerry Jones has become one of the biggest jokes in north Texas. “He has one of the most important jobs in all of American sports, maybe in the world: He is the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. And based on his record, there is not a single team in the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA or the NHL that would hire him to be their general manager.
Bill Parcells’ opinion of Jerry Jones
Bill Parcells coached under Dallas Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones for four seasons. Jones has the reputation of being too hands-on and interfering with coaching decisions. Parcells, who coached the Cowboys from 2003-2006, didn’t find that working under Jones was a problem.
Parcells said he believes Jones is misunderstood. He doesn’t believe Jones thinks it’s his way or no way at all. “Oh yeah, definitely.I think it’s distorted,” said Parcells, in a 2013 NFL.com article. “I think there’s a definite misperception. I just think everyone thinks things are a certain way. I didn’t see it to be that way. I think Jerry is a good businessman and a good listener. What you have to do is make sense to him.
“You’ve got to make sense to him. If he thinks you’re making sense, he’ll alter his opinion. I enjoyed him. I like him. I like him a lot.”
Jones and wife Gene own 51% of the Cowboys and their three adult children equally share the other 49%, D magazine reported in 2019. The sons and daughter also are significant partners in all other family endeavors.
Even still, the Cowboys' $9 billion worth is miles above the others. Billionaire owner Jerry Jones is to thank for that. Jones bought the team for $150 million in 1989 and it's now worth a whopping 60 times that. Jones considers the Dallas Cowboys to be a business.
NFL team owners Stan Kroenke, Jerry Jones part of Forbes' billionaire list, which also includes Daniel Snyder. Just about every day, in one way or another, we're reminded that the NFL crushes the rest of the American sporting world in terms of popularity.
He had a solid college career as a linebacker and was chosen by the Detroit Lions during the seventh round of the NFL's 1964 draft. Parcells was cut during training camp, however, and immediately turned to coaching.
For the past 32 years, Jerry Jones and his family have owned and operated the Dallas Cowboys with a management style that places just as much emphasis on community leadership as it does on the goal of winning the Super Bowl.
Surprisingly, the wealthiest owner is Rob Walton, the heir to the Walmart empire. Walton acquired the Broncos along with his sister Carrie Walton Penner and her husband Greg Penner, and a number or minor shareholders. Walton's net worth is nearly triple that of the Hunt family, at a staggering $77.4 billion.
Jones owns the Dallas Cowboys, the most valuable franchise in the National Football League. He bought the team in 1989 for $150 million after making his fortune in Texas from oil and gas. Jones also has investments in Comstock Resources as well as real estate, hospitality management and Papa John's franchises.
Aikman had a base salary of $27.4 million, with bonuses as high as $17.85 million during the peak of his NFL career as a Dallas Cowboys' quarterback. His 8-year $80 million contract, plus a signing bonus of $11 million made him the highest-paid athlete in the league in 1993.
Under Jones, the team achieved success, winning Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. Jones stands out as an NFL owner with a successful football player background. Despite initial criticism for firing beloved personnel, Jones' leadership elevated the franchise's value to an estimated $5.5 billion.
How Much Did the Yacht Cost? According to reports, Jones paid $250 million out of pocket to purchase his superyacht. With the annual estimated running costs being valued at $15-20 million a year, it's safe to say that Jones will try to get the most out of his investment.
H. R."Bum" Bright, who had purchased the Cowboys from Murchison in 1984, sold the team to Jerry Jones in 1989. Jones named former University of Miami coach Jimmy Johnson to replace Landry, who finished his career with 270 victories, third most by any coach in history.
In his interview with Mike and The Mad Dog, Bill Parcells stated that his reason for stepping down as head coach was not about the losses. It was more about all of the long hours he no longer could put in, because he is getting older.
"At first they were going to call him the Big Kahuna, but that was too much to say, so they shortened it to the Tuna," suggested John Botelho, a Somerset musician. Mr. Parcells' physique was criticized, and provided a ready answer for the sobriquet.
Following his final retirement from coaching, Parcells served as the vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2010. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Overview. Jones owns the Dallas Cowboys, the most valuable franchise in the National Football League. He bought the team in 1989 for $150 million after making his fortune in Texas from oil and gas. Jones also has investments in Comstock Resources as well as real estate, hospitality management and Papa John's franchises ...
(born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman and the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He bought the team from Bum Bright in 1989.
Now, at 81 years old, Jones continues to be the owner, general manager, and president. Together with his wife Eugenia, he has three children who all also work within the organization. Let's take a look at who they are and what each of them does with the Dallas Cowboys.
Jerry Jones, co-captain of the University of Arkansas 1964 national championship team, has long had football in his blood. His most valuable holding is the Dallas Cowboys, which he bought for $150 million in 1989. The team is currently valued at $9 billion.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.