John Robinson, successful football coach at USC and with LA Rams, has died at 89

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

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

Robinson 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 is high on the short list of football coaches who enjoyed significant success in both the college and pro ranks, going 104-35-4 at USC and finishing his NFL career 75-68 with the Rams. He was particularly dominant in bowl games, going 8-1 in the postseason at USC and UNLV.

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.

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.

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 coach Ed Orgeron’s tenure.

Robinson was born July 25, 1935, in Chicago, and he grew up in the Bay Area, attending prep school with 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.

Robinson 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 titles and the Rose Bowl in three of his first four years in charge. His 1978 team was named national champions by the UPI coaches’ poll, while Bear Bryant’s Alabama won the AP title.

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.

Robinson then coached UNLV from 1999-2004, 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 Robinson 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.

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, the former USC coach.

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

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.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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