John Robinson, Ducks tight end and successful college and NFL coach, dies at 89

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John Robinson, the veteran football coach who enjoyed success at USC and the Los Angeles Rams for many years, has died. He was 89.

Robinson played tight end on Oregon’s 1958 Rose Bowl championship team before beginning his coaching career with the Ducks.

The Rams confirmed Monday the death of Robinson, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his two successful seasons at USC. He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of complications from pneumonia, USC said in a news release.

Robinson also became the winningest coach in Rams history during his nine-year tenure with the NFL club. Sean McVay surpassed Robinson’s career win total just last month.

Robinson is at the top of the list of football coaches who have achieved significant success at both the college and professional levels. He went 104-35-4 at USC and finished his NFL career 75-68 with the Rams. He was particularly dominant in bowl games, going 8-1 in the postseason with USC and UNLV.

He 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 offense.

Robinson joined the Rams in 1983 and made the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons, winning four playoff games and making it to two NFC championship games.

After his second USC tenure, Robinson was the UNLV coach for six seasons and also served as the Rebels’ athletic director. He most recently served as a senior consultant at LSU from 2019 to 2021 during coach Ed Orgeron’s tenure.

Robinson was born in Chicago in 1935, grew up in the Bay Area, attended John Madden’s prep school, and graduated from high school in 1954.

Robinson became John McKay’s offensive coordinator at USC in 1972 and coached the consensus undefeated 1972 national team and the 1974 team that went 10-1-1. Robinson left the Trojans for a 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 as coach. His 1978 team was named national champions in the UPI coaches poll, while Bear Bryant’s Alabama won the AP title.

Robinson continued to win in 1983 when he joined the Rams, who played their home games in Anaheim, California. With an offense led by Eric Dickerson, Robinson’s teams made six playoff appearances and lost in two conference title games to the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Robinson’s second tenure at USC included a fourth Rose Bowl victory, but the school fired him after the 1997 season.

Robinson then coached at UNLV from 1999 to 2004, taking over a program that had lost 16 straight games. He led the Rebels to the third bowl appearance in school history in just his second season, but Robinson retired after the 2004 season with a 28-42 record at the school. One of his most notable victories was a 23-5 victory at No. 14 Wisconsin in 2003.

Robinson spent many years between coaching jobs on radio and television. Five years ago, he returned to football at LSU as an advisor to Orgeron, the former USC coach.

Robinson lived in the beach town of Encinitas in northern San Diego County.

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

At his request, a celebration of Robinson’s life will be held following the college football season.

— Greg Beacham | AP Sports Writer