Tag: John Robinson

USC celebrates proud football history while trying to restore on-field success

The irony is lost on no one: USC is celebrating its 1972 team and its 1970s-era heritage, including John Robinson, at a time when on-field results aren’t good.

Traditionally, USC football does not wear alternate uniforms. However, the Trojans announced that they will be making an exception this week—and for a very good reason. For USC’s homecoming game against Nebraska Saturday, the Trojans will wear 1970s-themed throwback uniforms. You can take a closer look at them here.

The uniforms will be a fighting tribute to legendary USC head coach John Robinson, who passed away on Monday. Robinson coached the Trojans from 1976-1982 and again from 1993-1997. He led USC to four Rose Bowl victories and the 1978 national championship.

In addition to the uniforms, Connor Morrissette of 247Sports reported on Friday that the Trojans will also have throwback field painting for Saturday’s game. Per Morrissette, “the endzones will be marked with gold paint, cardinal lettering and a cardinal and white diamond pattern, as well as a gold interlock painted at the 50-yard line.”

The irony cannot be ignored or missed: USC football is celebrating its rich history and the era which delivered so many of its best teams and greatest moments, all while the 2024 team is struggling to live up to that standard. The greatest tribute USC can create is to thump Nebraska and reawaken the echoes of glories past.

Kickoff between USC and Nebraska is set for 1 p.m. local time in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.

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Scott Turner opens tenure as Raiders OC with moving tribute to recently passed Hall of Fame coach

In Scott Turner’s first press conference as Raiders offensive coordinator, he gave tribute to recently passed Hall of Fame coach, John Robinson.

Thursday, Scott Turner took to the podium for his first press conference since being named the Raiders interim offensive coordinator. But before he answered any questions, he had to pay his respects to a legendary coach who was a big part of his life.

“The sports/football world, and the Las Vegas community specifically, lost someone this past week in Coach John Robinson,” said Turner.

“He was my college coach, had a big impact on my life both professionally and personally. And then my dad [Norv Turner], who just joined the staff, obviously you guys know that, he played for him [Coach Robinson] at Oregon, he coached for him, and that’s how my dad met my mom, when she was his secretary at USC. So, obviously, a big, big part of our family, a tough loss, and it’s a tough loss for everybody in the football community. A legendary coach, College Football Hall of Fame.”

It’s hard to imagine a coach having more ties to a family than Robinson did with the Turner family. To coach both father AND son in college and also be the reason Norv met his wife and Scott’s mom?

In 1975, the San Mateo native Robinson returned home to coach running backs for the Raiders for a season before USC came calling for him to take their head coaching job. With the Trojans he went on to win four straight Rose Bowls and a National Championship (1978).

He then went on to the NFL as the head coach the LA Rams for eight seasons from 1983-91 before returning to USC for seasons.

His ties to Las Vegas came in 1999 when he took over as head coach at UNLV and in his final two seasons as a college head coach in 2003-04 Scott Turner played for him. Now two decades later, he recalled what stuck with him the most about playing for Robinson.

“The big thing that he did as the head coach, and what I said before is like, this is a relationship business, and I learned that from him, just like how he truly cared about all the players on the team,” Turner added. “And it didn’t matter if it was a walk-on or the highest recruit that we had there at the time, he knew about them and he found time to build relationships with guys to try to help them be the best that they can be. And that’s what coaching is about, and that’s why you get in this business.”

In 2009 — five years after Robinson’s retirement — he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He passed away on November 11 at the age of 89.

Former Notre Dame coach Gerry Faust dies on same day as USC’s John Robinson

Former Notre Dame football coach Gerry Faust and former USC football coach John Robinson both died on the same day. They both died at age 89. Wow.

Some events in life — and death — are improbable in ways which defy description. This is incredible and eerie: On the same day that USC football legend John Robinson died at the age of 89, former Notre Dame football coach Gerry Faust also died at age 89. Can you believe it? Fighting Irish Wire has more on Faust:

Over his five seasons in South Bend, Faust accumulated a record of 30-26-1, good for a .535 winning percentage. Under his leadership, the Irish won the 1983 Liberty Bowl over Doug Flutie and Boston College. The following year, they lost the 1984 Aloha Bowl to SMU in its last game before it was handed the death penalty a few years later.

A disappointing 1985 season in which the Irish went 5-6 prompted Faust to announce that he would resign after the final game against a Miami team coached by Jimmy Johnson. The Irish lost that game, 58-7, and the university would go on to hire Lou Holtz as Faust’s successor.

Faust and John Robinson did coach against each other as part of the Notre Dame-USC football rivalry. They met in 1981 and 1982 before Robinson went to the NFL and the Los Angeles Rams in 1983. USC won 14-7 in South Bend in 1981 and then won 17-13 in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1982.

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John Robinson’s finest USC moment didn’t come during a football game

John Robinson and Lynn Swann, two USC greats, are part of a special moment which defines Robinson’s love for USC. It’s a window into a coach’s heart.

On Monday, legendary USC football head coach John Robinson passed away at the age of 89. As a head coach, Robinson led the Trojans to four Rose Bowl victories, produced two Heisman Trophy winners, and coached USC to the 1978 national championship. However, his finest moment as USC’s head coach did not come during a football game.

Following a victory over Northwestern in the 1996 Rose Bowl, ABC’s Lynn Swann—a former USC wide receiver who would later serve as the Trojans’ athletic director—tried to interview Robinson. However, Robinson was not in the mood to answer questions. Instead, he exclaimed on multiple occasions, “Let’s go to the band! Let’s go to the band!”

That moment perfectly encapsulated the relationship between Robinson and the University of Southern California. After a huge victory, the first thing Robinson wanted to do was not to accept the trophy and answer questions, but to celebrate with the band and fans.

Robinson’s love for USC extended to not just the football team, but also the Trojan Marching Band, Song Girls, students, faculty, alumni, and fans. He truly was a member of the Trojan family, and embraced everything about it.

More than 17 years later, after the Trojans upset No. 4 Stanford and fans stormed the field, then-USC interim head coach Ed Orgeron echoed Robinson’s famous words, telling the jubilant crowd to “Go to the band!”

In a way, that moment perfectly encapsulates the mark Robinson left on this school and its football program. While the man had coached his last game at USC more than a decade prior, his impact on the university remained undeniable.

Robinson may have passed away on Monday, but as long as USC continues to Fight On, so too will his legacy.

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Former USC players react to John Robinson’s death

Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, Anthony Munoz, and the other great players John Robinson coached at USC reacted to the legendary coach’s death at age 89.

On Monday, legendary USC football head coach John Robinson passed away at the age of 89. Upon learning of the news, several of Robinson’s former USC players chimed in with their memories of the coach.

1981 Heisman Trophy Winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen

“Words are inadequate for a person that has impacted your life in such a way; you can’t even describe it. The impact John had on his players, particularly myself, is so deep and profound. Knowing him was life-changing.

He was a great man and a great coach. I love him so much. He was one of the greatest teachers, motivators and psychologists of all-time. Everything we were on the field was a reflection of him.

John Robinson is one of the greatest Trojans ever. I always wanted to go to USC, and my time there was better than I could’ve ever imagined – and he made it special.

It’s a sad day, but it’s also a day of celebration of a great man.”

All-America Safety and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott

“Coach Robinson was one of the greatest college coaches ever, and his love for USC and his love for the game of football was second to none. I’ve always felt that while playing for him, he gave us the ability to feel like we were larger than life. And his commitment to making sure that we had more than just football in our lives was so superior. This is a sad day for all of the Trojans that played for him, but it’s a great day for God that He has one of the best coaches ever right by his side.”

All-America Quarterback Paul McDonald

“It’s a sad day for the Trojan Family, a legend is gone and he will be missed. I remember my first team meeting under Coach Robinson during training camp. He wrote our goals on the board: ‘Beat UCLA, Beat Notre Dame, Win the Rose Bowl, Win a National Championship.’ My initial reaction was, ‘Whoa, the bar is very high here!’

Coach Robinson was very demanding, but in a human way. He had great interpersonal skills, and he knew how to connect with people. He made you want to play hard for him and to run through walls. You cared for him because he cared so much for you.”

Pro Football Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz

“When I think about John Robinson, I think about the impact he had on us, not only as football players but as individuals. I think about the things I learned at USC: how to prepare and how to compete. Those are things you need not just in football, but also in life. Those are true life lessons that were taught to us under John Robinson.”

All-America Wide Receiver Keyshawn Johnson

“Rip Coach!

If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to live the Dream I’ve been living 🙏🏾

#FightOnForever”

Current USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley

“It’s a tough day. One of the greatest things at our university and our football program is honoring all of the greats that have come before – the coaches, the players and everyone that has made this place special. Days like this are especially tough, but we can remember all the memories and incredible accomplishments that Coach Robinson was a part of here at USC. From our entire football family, we want to offer his family condolences and let them know that we appreciate Coach, and he will forever be a huge part of USC football.”

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John Robinson’s legacy at USC is clear and enormous

John Robinson won big. He won a lot of Rose Bowls. He was a great USC head football coach for all the obvious reasons. His legacy, though, is even more specific.

Legendary USC football coach John Robinson died Monday at the age 89 due to complications from pneumonia. Robinson is easily on the Mount Rushmore of USC football head coaches (in other words, the top four). He joins program patriarch Howard Jones, Pete Carroll, and John McKay as the best of the best USC has ever had.

What was John Robinson’s legacy at USC? How would one arrive at a specific, detailed answer which sufficiently explains Robinson’s contribution to the rich story of Trojan football? “Winning big” is a correct answer, but it’s a general one. “Winning the Rose Bowl” is a better answer, but still a relatively simple response. Those are definitely parts of Robinson’s Trojan track record, and they both rate as huge achievements to be sure. However, when we get at Robinson’s most profound and important legacy at USC in a larger sense, it’s not just the winning and the Rose Bowl victories.

It’s not just the 1978 national championship. It’s not just that three of Robinson’s first four teams at USC — 1976 through 1979 — finished in the top two of the polls after the bowls.

It’s something more.

Here’s the best answer: Robinson carried forth the excellence of USC from the John McKay era.

Stop and think about all the times when an iconic, elite, best-of-the-best coach leaves a college team or an NFL team. How many times is “the guy after the guy” completely in over his head or, at the very least, unable to come remotely close to the standard set by the icon he replaced?

Who remembers who coached at Oklahoma after Barry Switzer? Who remembers who coached at Florida after Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer? Who remembers who coached at Alabama right after Bear Bryant died? Who coached the Green Bay Packers after Vince Lombardi?

It is one of the most thankless tasks in sports: coaching a team right after a legend leaves the stage. Most of the time, this succession plan goes poorly. It might be that the coach isn’t good, but even good coaches sometimes stumble just because replacing a legend creates impossible expectations and a culture in which it is hard to measure up in the eyes of a fan base.

John Robinson replaced John McKay, arguably the greatest USC football coach ever (greater than Howard Jones and Pete Carroll), and thrived.

Jones’s replacements in the 1940s and Carroll’s successors in the early 2010s fell flat on their face. Robinson was able to follow McKay and maintain USC as a powerhouse. That sets Robinson apart in college football history and in the larger history of the coaching profession. Being “the guy after the guy” and still being great? That’s an amazing legacy John Robinson leaves behind at USC. It’s a legacy which will never fade away. If anything, it’s easier to appreciate this, given how hard it has been for the Trojans to replicate Pete Carroll’s successes in the Lincoln Riley era, a decade and a half after Pete’s last game at USC.

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Ex-USC, LA Rams coach John Robinson dies at 89

Legendary USC coach John Robinson dies at 89

One of the great coaches in the storied history of USC football, John Robinson died at 89.

Robinson died from complications from pneumonia in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Robinson led the Trojans to the 1978 national championship and to eight bowl games. He compiled a 104-35-4 record during two coaching stints spread over 12 years at USC (1976-82 and 1993-97), recording more victories than any Trojan football coach except John McKay and Howard Jones. He was 4-0 in the Rose Bowl and earned five Pac-10 titles.

More per USC:

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.

He also coached the Rams in the NFL.

Robinson was the Rams’ head coach from 1983-1991, a span of nine years in Los Angeles. He led the team to the playoffs six times, reaching the NFC Championship Game following the 1989 season.

Former Rams coach John Robinson dies at age 89

John Robinson, who won 79 games as the Rams’ head coach, has died at the age of 89

Former Los Angeles Rams head coach John Robinson has passed away at the age of 89. The Rams confirmed the news to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.

Robinson was the Rams’ head coach from 1983-1991, a span of nine years in Los Angeles. He led the team to the playoffs six times, reaching the NFC Championship Game following the 1989 season.

In his career, Robinson won 75 regular-season and four postseason games, giving him 79 all-time. He was the winningest coach in franchise history until Sean McVay overtook him this season; McVay currently has 81 wins in his career.

In addition to coaching nine years with the Rams, Robinson also had two stints as the USC Trojans head coach. His first came in 1976, spending six years in that role until he joined the Rams in 1983, and then he returned to USC for five more years from 1993-1997.

After that, he coached six years at UNLV from 1999-2004. His last coaching job came as the defensive coordinator at San Marcos High School at the age of 75 in 2010.

Sean McVay became winningest coach in Rams history and did something only John Madden ever has

In becoming the Rams’ winningest coach in franchise history, Sean McVay accomplished something that only John Madden ever has

Sean McVay has only been the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach for seven-plus years but he’s already rewritten the franchise’s record books. On Thursday night with the Rams’ win over the Vikings, McVay became the winningest coach in franchise history.

He now has 80 wins combined in the regular season and playoffs, breaking a tie with John Robinson for the most in Rams history. At just 38 years old, it’s remarkable how much McVay has been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.

The Rams’ press team pointed out an interesting fact about how quickly McVay reached the peak of the franchise, too. He’s only the second coach since the 1970 merger to become the winningest coach of a team before turning 40. The other? The legendary John Madden, who ascended to the top of Raiders history at the age of 36.

McVay has a lot of years left in coaching, even if he says he won’t be a lifetime coach like some others who have coached into their 70s. By the end of his Rams career, he should be well into triple digits for wins at the helm.

For now, he’ll celebrate No. 80, potentially a season-saver for the 2024 Rams.

Sean McVay only needs one more win to set a Rams all-time coaching record

Sean McVay is only in his eighth season with the Rams but he’s on the doorstep of setting the franchise record for wins

Sean McVay has already established himself as one of the best coaches in Rams history and he’ll have a chance to etch his name in the record books once again on Thursday night when Los Angeles hosts the Minnesota Vikings.

With the Rams’ 20-15 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, McVay notched his 79th career win (including playoffs) in seven-plus years at the helm. His next win will give him 80 in his career, which would be the most all-time by a Rams head coach.

The current record is held by John Robinson, who won 79 games as the Rams’ head coach. Of Robinson’s 79 wins, 75 came in the regular season. McVay currently has 72 regular-season wins, but his seven playoff victories are the most ever by a Rams coach.

Robinson also set the record in nine seasons with the Rams, whereas McVay is only in his eighth season in Los Angeles. It took Robinson 153 total games to reach 79 wins and McVay is currently sitting at 132 games coached entering Thursday’s contest.

Needless to say, McVay will always be heralded as an all-time great coach in Los Angeles, especially with one Super Bowl ring on his finger already.