John Robinson, the University of Southern California football coaching legend who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018, has died, the school announced Monday. He was 89 years old.
USC announced that Robinson died of complications from pneumonia.
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John Robinson (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/File)
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Robinson attended John Madden High School and played tight end at the University of Oregon, where he was a member of the 1958 Rose Bowl team. He got his start as a coach with the Ducks as an assistant. He was in the program from 1960 to 1971.
He transferred to take the offensive coordinator position at USC. He stayed with the Trojans for three seasons before joining the Oakland Raiders staff under Madden as running backs coach. The Raiders advanced to the AFC Championship before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The next few years would be the most successful period of Robinson's career. From 1976 to 1997, he was the head coach of USC and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams twice.
USC offensive coordinator John Robinson, middle, quarterback Pat Haden (age 10) and head coach John McKay during a game circa 1974. (Long photo – USA TODAY Sports/File)
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He led USC to a national championship and four conference titles. At USC, he had a record of 104 wins, 35 losses, and 4 draws. The school went 7-1 in bowl games with him at the helm. The 1978 National Championship team included Marcus Allen, Anthony Munoz, and Ronnie Lott, who eventually made it to the NFL.
Robinson took over the Rams in 1983, replacing Ray Marabasi. He improved the team from 2-7 to 9-7 in his first season. He led the Rams to the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons. The team appeared in the NFC Championship twice but never made it to the Super Bowl.
He was 75 to 68 years old from 1983 to 1991.
Los Angeles Rams head coach John Robinson stands on the sideline during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 13, 1985 in Tampa, Florida. (Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)
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He is survived by his wife, four children, two stepchildren, and 10 grandchildren.
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