Longtime USC Trojans head football coach and College Football Hall of Famer John Robinson has died at 89.
Robinson’s football career spanned eight decades, during which he experienced great success at the college and NFL levels.
USC announced the sad news Monday night on X, saying Robinson died from complications associated with pneumonia.
John Robinson, one of USC’s most popular and successful football coaches, died today (Monday, Nov. 11) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana of complications from pneumonia. He was 89.#FightOnForever pic.twitter.com/tPvQVFBcIO
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 12, 2024
Robinson started his career as a tight end with the Oregon Ducks. He appeared in the 1958 Rose Bowl where Oregon lost 10-7 to the Ohio State Buckeyes. After his playing career concluded, Robinson shifted to coaching, serving as an assistant coach for the Ducks from 1960-71.
In 1972, he became the offensive coordinator at USC under famed head coach John McKay. After three seasons at USC, Robinson jumped to the NFL to be the running backs coach for the Oakland Raiders. He returned to USC after just one season to replace McKay as head coach.
Robinson spent 1976-1982 as the coach of the Trojans, taking the team to three Rose Bowls and capturing the 1979 National Championship. He went 67-14-2 in seven seasons before resigning to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams starting in the 1983 season.
Robinson’s transition to NFL head coaching was a smooth one. He made the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons coaching the Rams, but going a combined 8-24 in the 1990 and 1991 seasons ended the coach’s NFL career.
After spending a year doing TV and radio, Robinson returned to USC for the 1993 season and picked up where he left off, taking the team to an 8-5 record and a win in the Freedom Bowl. Cotton and Rose Bowl wins would follow in 1994 and 1995, respectively. In December 1997, USC fired him after a 6-5 finish. In his 12 seasons with the Trojans, Robinson went 104-35-4.
As had been the case by this point, Robinson didn’t stay away from coaching for long. He was named the head coach of the UNLV Rebels in 1999. Unfortunately, he didn’t find the success he found at USC. Robinson went 28-42 in six seasons and made just one bowl appearance. He also served as the school’s athletic director in 2002 and 2003.
Once his time at UNLV ended, Robinson returned to TV and radio. In 2010, he served as the defensive coordinator for San Marcos High School, and from 2019-21, he was a senior consultant for head coach Ed Orgeron and the LSU Tigers.
Robinson is survived by his wife, four children, two stepchildren, and ten grandchildren.
