J.J. Stays, Hires Wannstedt

Jimmy Johnson, on the verge of quitting, changed his mind Thursday and will remain as coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Instead of announcing his resignation, Johnson said former Chicago Bears coach Dave Wannstedt, a former assistant of his in Dallas, will join the Dolphins as assistant head coach to give him more free time.

"My determination and my commitment is not one bit less than it was before," Johnson said. "But I will spend a few more hours with my family. ... For some of you, you have me for at least one more year."

Word surfaced Wednesday night that Johnson was prepared to leave after three seasons, prompting Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga to rush back from a baseball meeting in California. At a meeting Thursday, he convinced Johnson that hiring Wannstedt would mean more time away from the 15-hour workdays as head coach.

Johnson told a news conference he would "coach like the dickens" to bring Miami a championship.

He said the death of his mother, Allene, on Dec. 20 and his father's battle with cancer had made him realize he needed to spend more time with his family, especially since he was marrying his longtime girlfriend, Rhonda Rookmaaker.

Johnson's voice broke and he turned emotional when he spoke of arriving late at his mother's funeral.

"There's time you pull back and you say, 'Be with people you care about. Don't shortchange them.' That's what I plan on doing," he said.

Thursday's stunning developments came less than a week after the Dolphins were eliminated from the NFL playoffs with a 38-3 loss in Denver.

The 55-year-old Johnson is under contract through 2000 after signing a one-year extension in April.

Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt join forces in Miami. (AP)

"I really believe that we're a couple of playmakers away offensively from getting that championship," Johnson said.

He said Wannstedt would be a "true" assistant head coach, and not a figurehead.

"He will work with all three areas -- offense, defense, special teams, just like I do," Johnson said.

Asked who will wear the headset on Sundays, Johnson said: "We'll both have headsets on."

Johnson's father, C.W., earlier had confirmed Johnson's retirement plans and his change of heart.

"Jimmy has to do what he wants to do," C.W. Johnson said by phone from his home in Port Arthur, Texas.

Saturday's loss was the most lopsided postseason defeat in Dolphins history.

Johnson coached the Miami Hurricanes to the 1987 national championship and led the Cowboys to consecutive Super Bowl titles in 1992-93. He was hired by the Dolphins in January 1996 and said he would have the team in the NFL title game in three years, but he has won only one playoff game with Miami.

Miami has made steady progress since Johnson replaced Don Shula. The Dolphins went 8-8 in his first season, 9-7 in 1997 and 10-6 this season.

They reached the playoffs in 1997 and earned their first playoff victory in four years this season, beating the Buffalo Bills 24-17. Johnson's competitive zeal seemed as intense as ever after that game, when he celebrated by crushing a box of Flutie Flakes in the locker room.

Johnson said recently he believes Miami needs only a couple of offensive playmakers to join the NFL's elite. Following the Denver debacle, he said he didn't consider the loss devastating, but said Miami simply must earn a higher seed in next season's playoffs.

"I told our players that you need to win enough games during the season to get a bye, get people healthy and get ready for an opponent," Johnson said. "We didn't win enough games during the season to get that advantage."

Johnson simplified the team playbook this season to put more emphasis on the run and less pressure on his 37-year-old quarterback, Dan Marino, but the offense frequently sputtered. The defense, however, allowed the fewest points in the NFL.

A wave of late-season injuries and playing at Denver were too much for th Dolphins to overcome. Johnson was uncharacteristically pessimistic before the game, saying the Dolphins faced almost insurmountable odds to win the Super Bowl.

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