John Robinson obit

John Robinson, former USC football and Rams coach, dies at 89

 

He was not on the list.

John Robinson, the veteran football coach who enjoyed many years of success at USC and with the Los Angeles Rams, has died. He was 89.

The Rams confirmed Robinson's death Monday. He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of complications from pneumonia, USC said in a news release.

Robinson is high on the short list of football coaches who enjoyed significant success in both the college and pro ranks. He went 104-35-4 at USC and 75-68 with the Rams, winning postseason games and contending for championships regularly with both teams. Robinson was particularly successful in bowl games, going 8-1 in the postseason with USC and UNLV.

"Coach Robinson was one of the greatest college coaches ever, and his love for USC and his love for the game of football was second to none," said Ronnie Lott, an All-American safety under Robinson at USC. "I've always felt that while playing for him, he gave us the ability to feel like we were larger than life. And his commitment to making sure that we had more than just football in our lives was so superior."

Robinson was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his two successful tenures at USC. He also became the winningest coach in Rams history during his nine-year tenure with the NFL club. Sean McVay passed Robinson's career victories total only last month.

Robinson coached at USC from 1976 to 1982 and again from 1993 to 1997. He never had a losing record at the school, and his Trojans won five conference titles and four Rose Bowls. Running backs Charles White (1979) and Marcus Allen (1981) won the Heisman Trophy while playing in Robinson's relentless rushing offenses.

"Coach Robinson was very demanding, but in a human way," said Paul McDonald, the quarterback of Robinson's superbly talented 1979 team at USC. "He had great interpersonal skills, and he knew how to connect with people. He made you want to play hard for him and to run through walls. You cared for him because he cared so much for you."

Robinson moved to the Rams in 1983 and reached the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons, winning four playoff games and advancing to two NFC Championship Games.

The Rams observed a moment of silence for Robinson at SoFi Stadium on Monday night before they faced the Miami Dolphins.

Robinson spent six seasons coaching UNLV after his second USC tenure, also serving a stint as the Rebels' athletic director. He was most recently a senior consultant at LSU from 2019 to 2021 during the tenure of coach Ed Orgeron.

Robinson was born July 25, 1935, in Chicago, and he grew up in the Bay Area, attending prep school with close friend John Madden and graduating from high school in 1954. He played tight end on Oregon's 1958 Rose Bowl championship team before beginning his coaching career with the Ducks.

He became John McKay's offensive coordinator at USC in 1972, coaching the unbeaten 1972 consensus national championship team and the 1974 team that went 10-1-1. Robinson left the Trojans for one year to join Madden with the Oakland Raiders, but returned to USC in 1976 when McKay took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Robinson coached USC to seven outstanding seasons, winning the Pac-8 or Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl in three of his first four years in charge. His 1978 team was named national champion by the UPI coaches' poll, while Bear Bryant's Alabama won the AP title. Robinson coached a long list of stars during his tenure, from White and Allen to Pro Football Hall of Famers Lott, Anthony Muñoz and Bruce Matthews.

Robinson kept winning in 1983 when he moved to the Rams, who played their home games in Anaheim, California. With an offense led by Eric Dickerson, Robinson's teams racked up six playoff appearances and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions in two conference title games.

Robinson's second tenure at USC included a fourth Rose Bowl victory, but the school dismissed him following the 1997 season.

He then coached UNLV from 1999 to 2004, taking over a program that had lost 16 games in a row. He got the Rebels to only the third bowl appearance in school history in just his second season, but stepped away after the 2004 season with a 28-42 record at the school. One of his more notable victories was a 23-5 win at No. 14 Wisconsin in 2003.

"Football lost a legend today," UNLV athletic director Erick Harper said. "Coach Robinson was revered by his players, peers, fans and coworkers. He led a wonderful life on and off the football field at so many places, including here at UNLV as both a coach and administrator. Our thoughts and prayers go out to John's family as we remember all that he did for the sport nationally and right here in Las Vegas."

Robinson spent many years between his coaching jobs in broadcasting on television and radio. He returned to football five years ago at LSU as a consultant to Orgeron, a former USC coach.

Robinson is survived by his wife, Beverly, his four children, two stepchildren and 10 grandchildren.

A celebration of Robinson's life will be held following the college football season, in accordance with his wishes.

In 1976, when John McKay left USC to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson was named to succeed him. Robinson would coach at USC from 1976 to 1982, during which he led the Trojans to three conference titles and five bowl games. He won the Rose Bowl in 1977, 1979, and 1980 and USC earned a national championship in 1979. Following the 1982 season, Robinson stepped down as head coach with a record of 67–14–2 over seven seasons.

Los Angeles Rams

Hired to replace Ray Malavasi prior to the 1983 NFL season, Robinson is considered one of the more successful coaches in Rams history, leading the franchise to the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons and twice reaching the NFC Championship Game. Both of those contests ended in defeat against eventual Super Bowl champions, the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. Robinson's tenure as Rams coach was made more difficult by the fact that the Rams played in the same division as the 49ers, the dominant team of the 1980s (the only time he won the NFC West title during his tenure was 1985). However, he had great success in importing his trademark running game after using the No. 2 overall pick in the 1983 NFL draft to draft running back Eric Dickerson. In just over four seasons with the Rams, Dickerson ran for 7,245 yards and led the league in rushing three times, with his 1984 total of 2,105 yards still an NFL record going into 2022. After Dickerson was traded midway through the 1987 season, Robinson's Rams still had the league's rushing leader in Charles White, while Greg Bell continued Robinson's running tradition with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 1988 and 1989. Additionally, Robinson introduced to the league a group of highly respected assistant coaches, including Norv Turner, Hudson Houck, and Gil Haskell, all of whom would go on to have long and productive NFL coaching careers.

Following the Rams' 30–3 loss in the 1989 NFC Championship Game, the Rams franchise went into decline. After a 5–11 season in 1990 and a 3–13 mark in 1991, Robinson was fired by the Rams, though his 79 career victories remained the most in franchise history until Sean McVay surpassed him in 2024.

Robinson began a three decade long association with Sports USA Radio Network in 1998 and as of January 2018 served as a color analyst for the network. He was a board member for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is named after Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott and is awarded annually to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.

 

Career history

As a coach:

Oregon (1960–1971)

Assistant coach

USC (1972–1974)

Offensive coordinator

Oakland Raiders (1975)

Running backs coach

USC (1976–1982)

Head coach

Los Angeles Rams (1983–1991)

Head coach

USC (1993–1997)

Head coach

UNLV (1999–2004)

Head coach

San Marcos HS (CA) (2010)

Defensive coordinator

As an administrator:

UNLV (2002–2003)

Athletic director

LSU (2019–2021)

Senior consultant

Career highlights and awards

As head coach:

National champion (1978)

5× Pac-8/Pac-10 (1976, 1978–1979, 1993, 1995)

4× Rose Bowl champion (1976, 1978, 1979, 1995)

MW Coach of the Year (2000)

Rose Bowl Hall of Fame (2003)

As assistant coach:

 

3× National champion (1972, 1974, 2019)

2× Rose Bowl champion (1972, 1974)

Head coaching record

Regular season:            75–68 (.524) (NFL)

132–77–4 (.629) (college)

Postseason:            4–6 (.400)

Career: 79–74 (.516) (NFL)

140–78–4 (.640) (college)