USC coaching legend John Robinson dies
(The following story is a USC press release)
LOS ANGELES – John Robinson, one of USC’s most popular and successful football coaches, died today (Monday, Nov. 11) in Baton Rouge, La. of complications from pneumonia. He was 89.
Robinson guided the Trojans to the 1978 national championship and into 8 bowl games. He won 74.1% of his games while compiling a 104-35-4 record during 2 coaching stints spread over 12 years at Troy (1976-82 and 1993-97), recording more victories than any USC gridiron coach except John McKay and Howard Jones. He was 4-0 in the Rose Bowl and earned 5 Pac-10 titles.
He produced 24 All-American first teamers, 22 NFL first rounders, 2 Heisman Trophy winners (Charles White and Marcus Allen) and a Lombardi Award winner (Brad Budde) at USC. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2004, the College Football Hall of Fame and the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, the Las Vegas Bowl Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018. He twice was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1976 and 1978) and earned National Coach of the Year honors in 1979.
After spending 12 years (1960-71) as an assistant at Oregon, his alma mater, Robinson became a Trojan assistant for 3 seasons (1972-74) as Troy won a pair of national crowns.
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He also served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams (1983-91), twice advancing to the NFC title game, and at UNLV (1999-2004), and was an assistant with the Oakland Raiders in 1975.
After coaching, he did analysis on college football national radio broadcasts and was a development officer with the USC athletic department. He also served as a senior consultant with the LSU football program when the Tigers won the national title in 2019.
Robinson is survived by his wife Beverly, his four children (daughters Terry Medina and Lynne Sierra and sons David and Chris) and two stepchildren (Jennifer Bohle and Jeffrey Ezell) and 10 grandchildren (Raimond, Reanne, Andrew, Matthew, Jeremy, Ryan, Jason, Pierce, Preston and Evangeline).
Per Robinson’s wishes, a celebration of life will be held following this college football season.
