Dallas Cowboys History

In 1960, the Dallas Cowboys joined the National Football League (NFL). Clint Murchison Jr. was the new team’s majority owner and on his “to do list” was to hire Tom Landry as head coach. Playing in the Cotton Bowl their first season, the Cowboys lost 12 straight games.

In 1966, the Cowboys began an NFL record streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons. In 1969 original Cowboy quarterback Don Meridith retired, signaling a new era for the Cowboys.

Behind Meridith, the Cowboys had won its first two divisional championships and they reached Super Bowl V, before losing to the Green Bay Packers.

In 1971, the Cowboys beat the San Francisco 49ers to reach their second straight Super Bowl. Led by Hall of Famers’ Roger Staubach, Bob Lily, Mel Renfro and Rayfield Wright, the Cowboys captured their first Super Bowl, by defeating Miami 24-3.

The Cowboys were Super Bowl-bound three more times from 1975 to 1978. They lost to Pittsburgh in extremely competitive games in Super Bowls X and XIII, but they defeated the Denver Broncos behind Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett in Super Bowl XII.

The Cowboys suffered their first losing season in two decades in 1986. In 1988, H. R. Bright, who had purchased the team from Murchison in 1984, sold the team to Jerry Jones. Jones named Jimmy Johnson head coach to fill in for retired coach Tom Landry who finished his career with 270 victories, third most by any coach in NFL history.

Johnson’s first year as head coach saw his team only win once in 16 games, but due to some daring trades and good draft picks, the Cowboys were on there way to becoming a great team.

Led by Hall of Famers’ Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys won their third Super Bowl by defeating Buffalo 52-17.

After winning the Super Bowl in 1992, the Cowboys were not finished winning as they defeated the 49ers for the second straight year in the NFC Championship.

Allstars, such as linebacker Ken Norton, Jr., tight end Charles Haley, tackle Eric Williams, and tight end Jay Novacek matched perfect with their future Hall of Fame teammates and, once again, beat the Buffalo Bills, 30-13, in Super Bowl XXVIII.

In March 1994, college coach Barry Switzer replaced Johnson as head coach. The winning continued under Switzer as the “Team of the Nineties” won its third Super Bowl in four years with a 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.

In 2007, Wade Phillips became only the seventh head coach in team history as the Cowboys continue building for the future.