Greg Robinson obit

Former Syracuse football head coach Greg Robinson dies at 70

 He was not on the list.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Former Syracuse football coach Greg Robinson died in Carpinteria, California, on Wednesday, according to his son, Dominic. He was 70 years old.

Dominic said his father died from a form of Alzheimer’s disease.

Robinson coached football at the high school, college and professional level for four decades, winning a pair of Super Bowls as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos under Mike Shanahan.

He is best known in Syracuse for a difficult four-year stint as head coach of the Orange, one in which the program went 10-37. Five of those wins were later vacated by the NCAA.

Robinson came to Syracuse in 2005, following a season in which he helped the Texas Longhorns to a Rose Bowl win.

Robinson’s coaching pedigree and hope to shift Syracuse toward improved recruiting and a more modern style of play inspired initial optimism after the program had stagnated under Paul Pasqualoni, but the excitement didn’t translate into wins during his tenure and the offense rotated through three coordinators in four seasons.

There were a number of notable players that he brought into the program that did wind up winning, though, including a potential NFL Hall of Famer in Chandler Jones, his brother, Art, and others like Justin Pugh, Ryan Nassib, Mike Williams, Curtis Brinkley and Delone Carter.

Some of those players wound up being key parts of the Orange’s success under his replacement, Doug Marrone, as they matured.

“In terms of Syracuse, I think he was sad that it didn’t work out,” Dominic said. “It’s been hard for him to live with. I think he knew he made some errors early on. But I think if you look at the players he eventually recruited and the lives that he touched, in a lot of ways, I don’t think he’s been given enough credit. I think the wins and losses obscured some of that. He coached a lot of kids who went on to be successful, both in college and in the NFL.”

Dominic said that despite the losing seasons and the difficulty winning games at Syracuse his father always maintained pride in the players brought to the school during his tenure and maintained a love of the region and its people, calling the area the “hidden gem of the United States.”

It was a statement he made regularly, one full of his customary enthusiasm, passion and optimism, qualities on display even during periods of losing at SU. They led to memorable moments like Robinson reading of The Little Engine That Could at his final press conference and a remarkable upset victory over Notre Dame, the school his parents cheered for, in his second-to-last game at SU in 2008.

The win over Notre Dame came just days after Robinson was told he wouldn’t be back at SU and remains the last time Syracuse beat Notre Dame in football.

“It was a difficult time for my dad in a lot of respects,” Dominic said. “But he loves Syracuse. He loves the people, the relationships he made, the beauty of the area. He loved the generosity and loved his time as much as any place he ever coached. He called it the hidden gem of the United States. That was one of his favorite lines.”

It was a love that was evident both during his tenure and afterward.

During his time in Syracuse, Greg’s wife, Laura, volunteered in the soup kitchen each week at St. Lucy’s Church on Gifford Street. Despite the difficult experience, Dominic settled into Syracuse even after his father was replaced and currently works as the Vice President of Economic Inclusion for CenterState CEO.

“The thing I’m really proud of is that I worked with him for two years,” Dominic said. “College football is a profession full of a lot of egos. It’s easy to not treat people well. From the secretaries to the cafeteria workers to the staff, he treated everyone with respect and dignity. He was a darn good coach, a better man and a fantastic father.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1951, Robinson was the fifth of eight siblings.

He played football for Bakersfield College and the University of the Pacific before embarking on a coaching career that included stops at 12 different high school, college or NFL programs.

That list included UCLA, Texas and Michigan at the college level, as well as the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL. Along the way, he worked alongside some of the sport’s most respected names, a group that includes Mike Shanahan, Dick Vermeil, Pete Carroll, Mack Brown and Rich Rodriguez.

He was one of the coaches suggested for the Syracuse job to former SU athletic director Daryl Gross by Carroll.

Early in the 2008 campaign, the decline of Syracuse football was the subject of an ESPN College GameDay piece in which Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross and Syracuse greats Floyd Little and Jim Brown registered their disgust with Robinson. Robinson was fired November 17, 2008, two games before the end of the season.

Robinson retired from coaching in 2015.

He is survived by his wife, Laura; his son, Dominic (Jonnell); his daughters, Lindsay Kupper (Jeff) and Leslie Mathewson (Chris); four siblings and six grandchildren.

A funeral Mass and burial will take place in Los Angeles at a time to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Los Angeles-based Homeboy Industries or St. Lucy’s Parish in Syracuse.

 

Biographical details

Born            October 9, 1951

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Died     January 5, 2022 (aged 70)

Carpinteria, California, U.S.

Playing career

1970–1971            Bakersfield

1972–1974            Pacific (CA)

Position(s)            Linebacker, center, tight end

 

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

1975–1976            Pacific (CA) (assistant)

1977–1979            Cal State Fullerton (assistant)

1980–1981            NC State (LB)

1982–1988            UCLA (DL)

1989    UCLA (OC)

1990–1993            New York Jets (DL)

1994    New York Jets (DC)

1995–2000            Denver Broncos (DC)

2001–2003            Kansas City Chiefs (DC)

2004    Texas (co-DC)

2005–2008            Syracuse

2009–2010            Michigan (DC/LB)

2012    Saint Francis HS (CA) (assistant)

2013    Texas (DC)

2014–2015            San Jose State (DC/LB)

Head coaching record

Overall 5–37

Accomplishments and honors

Championships

2x Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII)