John Robinson, the veteran football coach who enjoyed many years of success at USC and with the Los Angeles Rams, has died. He was 89.
The Rams confirmed Robinson’s death on Monday. He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of complications from pneumonia, USC said in a release.
Robinson is high on the short list of football coaches who enjoyed significant success in both the college and pro ranks. He went 104-35-4 at USC and 75-68 with the Rams, winning postseason games and contending for championships regularly with both teams. Robinson was particularly successful in bowl games, going 8-1 in the postseason with USC and UNLV.
“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,” said Ronnie Lott, an All-American safety under Robinson at USC. “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.”
Robinson was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his two successful tenures at USC. He 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 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.
“Coach Robinson was very demanding, but in a human way,” said Paul McDonald, the quarterback of Robinson’s superbly talented 1979 team at USC. “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.”
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.
The Rams observed a moment of silence for Robinson at SoFi Stadium on Monday night before they faced the Miami Dolphins.
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 the tenure of head coach Ed Orgeron.
Robinson was born July 25, 1935, in Chicago, and he grew up in the Bay Area, attending prep school with close friend 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. He coached a long list of stars during his tenure, from White and Allen to Pro Football Hall of Famers Lott, Anthony Muñoz and Bruce Matthews.
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.
“Football lost a legend today,” UNLV athletic director Erick Harper said. “Coach Robinson was revered by his players, peers, fans and coworkers. He led a wonderful life on and off the football field at so many places, including here at UNLV as both a coach and administrator. Our thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family as we remember all that he did for the sport nationally and right here in Las Vegas.”
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 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.
DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored a goal in his club’s must-win Game 6 of the second-round playoff series at Dallas on Saturday night, hours after the unexpected death of his father.
But he also had the penalty that set up the Stars’ power-play goal in overtime for a 2-1 win that knocked the top-ranked Jets out of the playoffs.
Jets captain Adam Lowry went and got Scheifele out of the box when the game ended.
“We’re a family. Just to let him know that we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him,” Lowry said. “You want to give him the strength, you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it.”
During the handshake line afterward, Scheifele hugged and talked to just about everyone, with Stars players clearly offering their support to him in a heartwarming moment.
Scheifele scored his fifth goal of the playoffs 5½ minutes into the second period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. He scored on a short snap shot from just outside the crease after gathering the rebound of a shot by Kyle Connor.
“I just I know we have a great group here. I knew, going in, once we found out the news that he’s going to have a great support group and we’re going to be there for him through the highs and the lows and obviously today was a real low,” defenseman Neal Pionk said of Scheifele. “[We] did everything we could to give him some words of encouragement, [and] for him to play tonight, and play the way he did, is flat out one of the most courageous things we’ve ever seen.”
The game was tied at 1 when Sam Steel, who had already scored for Dallas, was on a break. Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line with 14.8 seconds in regulation. Scheifele and the Jets avoided a penalty shot on the play, but ended up losing on the power play when Thomas Harley scored 1:33 into overtime.
Jets coach Scott Arniel said the news of Brad Scheifele’s passing overnight was difficult for the entire team. The team was told before the optional morning skate.
“On behalf of the Winnipeg Jets family, our condolences to Mark and his family. It rocked us all this morning when we found out,” Arniel said before the game. “Mark will be playing tonight. As he said, that’d be the wishes of his dad. He would have wanted him to play.”
Scheifele was the last Jets player to leave the ice following pregame warmups, and during at least part of the singing of “O Canada,” he had his head bowed and his eyes closed. He took the opening faceoff against Roope Hintz.
“The thing about Mr. Scheifele is he’s part of our family. He’s part of the Jets family. He goes back to 2011 when Mark was first drafted here,” Arniel said. “We have a lot of players that came in around the time that are still here that he’s been a big part of their life, along with their family. So it’s certainly, obviously devastating for Mark, but also for a lot of guys on this team.”
Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the organization was doing everything it can to support Scheifele. There was no immediate word on the cause of Brad Scheifele’s death.
The 32-year-old Mark Scheifele finished with 11 points (five goals, six assists) while playing in 11 of the Jets’ 13 games this postseason. He missed Games 6 and 7 of the first-round series against St. Louis with an undisclosed injury after taking a pair of big hits early in Game 5 of that series.
In Game 5 against the Stars on Thursday night, a 4-0 win by Winnipeg that extended the series, Scheifele was sucker-punched by Stars captain Jamie Benn during a late scrum. Benn got a game misconduct penalty and was fined by the NHL the maximum-allowed $5,000 but avoided a suspension.
Scheifele had 87 points (39 goals and 48 assists) in the 82 regular-season games.
DALLAS — Thomas Harley scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final for the third season in a row, beating the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets2-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets hours after the unexpected death of his father, but also had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left in regulation that set up Dallas to start overtime with a man advantage.
Sam Steel, who had scored earlier for Dallas, was on a break when Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line. The Stars called a timeout, but missed a shot and had another one blocked before the end of regulation.
The Stars move on to face the Edmonton Oilers in the West final for the second year in a row and will host Game 1. Connor McDavid and his club, which won in six games last year, wrapped up their second-round series with a 1-0 overtime win over Vegas on Wednesday night in Game 5.
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to wrap up his sixth playoff series win over the past three seasons. He made an incredible diving save with 8½ minutes left in regulation, leaning to the right before having to lunge back across his body toward the left post to knock down a shot by Mason Appleton.
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots but couldn’t prevent a loss that assured a winless record for his club on the road this postseason. Meanwhile, his final goal allowed continued a magical season for Harley, Dallas’ breakout blueliner who also played for Team Canada this season in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“Not surprising to the guys in here,” Oettinger said of Harley’s rise to prominence. “We’re very lucky.”
Steel notched his first goal of the playoffs midway through the second period. He shot a long rebound from the top of the right circle, sending the puck into the upper right corner of the net just above Hellebuyck’s glove.
“I’m just disappointed,” Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said. “We couldn’t get that [penalty] kill for [the fans], and get it back to win in Winnipeg for Game 7. But you know, [I’m] really proud of this group, and the way they handled everything, and the way we fought back. … It just came up short.”
The Jets become the next in a long line of Presidents’ Trophy winners to bow out early. The award, which goes to the NHL’s top regular-season team, was won by the New York Rangers last season before they lost in the Eastern Conference final. Two years ago, the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.
“We lost to a great team,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We lost to a team that was in our rearview mirror all year long.”
Scheifele’s effort was a focus for Dallas coach Pete DeBoer, who began his postgame media availability by saying what the Jets star forward did in playing Saturday was “courageous,” adding “I’m sure his dad would’ve been really proud of him and what he did.”
For the Stars, it’s off to the NHL’s final four, as the franchise continues to seek its second Stanley Cup title.
“I think we’ve got something special going on. We’re going to have to prove it again,” DeBoer said. “You know, we’ve been to this spot the last two years and haven’t taken the next step, so that’s the challenge.”
As the Vegas Golden Knights absorb being knocked out in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, they don’t have to wait long before planning for their future. Jack Eichel, who has one season left on his eight-year, $80 million contract, is eligible for an extension beginning July 1.
“He’s one of the top guys in the NHL,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s got great character, great leadership. You see night in, night out what he does for our team, so that will be a really important piece of business for us. We certainly hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here, so I would hope we could find common ground.”
Eichel, 28, comes off the best season of his 10-year career, the past four with the Golden Knights. He set career highs with 66 assists and 94 points to go with 28 goals as the center on the team’s top line. He also skated for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where his club finished second to Canada.
“Can’t say enough about my teammates and the people in this building and the people that make this organization what it is,” Eichel said. “I’m super proud to be part of this organization and the city and represent the Vegas Golden Knights. Contractually, I think things kind of take care of itself. I’ll just worry about trying to prepare for next season this offseason and go from there.”
Management, which is not known for sitting on its hands, will have other significant decisions to make as well on the team’s direction after the Golden Knights were eliminated in the second round for the second year in a row.
“I like our team,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t have a problem with any player in that room. I think every one of them is a great teammate. They care about one another. Are there areas of our game we could complement better? Probably. We’ll evaluate that.
“All the guys that were up, their contracts, they were all good players for us. All good players. No disappointments at all. We’ll probably have to look at areas because we’re not the last team standing. Usually, you think, ‘Where can we upgrade? Where can I upgrade what I do?'”
McCrimmon offered a similar assessment.
“I feel our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon said.
The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup two years ago and thought they had another contender this season after capturing the Pacific Division and securing the Western Conference’s second-best record. But Vegas had to rally from a 2-1 series deficit to beat Minnesota in the opening round, winning twice in overtime. Then the Golden Knights lost two overtime games in the 4-1 series loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
“I didn’t walk away from Edmonton saying, ‘We had no chance. They’re just better,'” Cassidy said. “I didn’t feel that way. I felt we needed to execute better in a few of the games and we could be the team moving on.”
Forward William Karlsson said losing to the Oilers made it “a wasted season.” McCrimmon wasn’t as blunt, instead labeling the loss as “a missed opportunity.”
Change will come, but at least given the tenor of the comments by Cassidy and McCrimmon, the Golden Knights will largely return their roster intact next season.
“I think we have a great organization,” goaltender Adin Hill said. “Best management I’ve been under. I think they’re going to do the things that they see fit for [the] roster, whether it’s keeping it the same or whether it’s changing up a few things. I don’t know. That’s their decision, above my paygrade, but it will be exciting to see. We know that we’re going to be contenders every year.”
Forward Reilly Smith made it clear he wants to return. An original Golden Knight, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the Stanley Cup and then sent to the New York Rangers a year later. The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old on March 6.
Smith made a smooth transition back into the lineup with three goals and eight assists in 21 games. Then he delivered the play of the postseason for the Golden Knights, scoring with 0.4 seconds left to beat the Oilers in Game 3, and finished with three goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.
“Probably the best hockey I’ve played in my career has been wearing this jersey,” Smith said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of and a fun place to call home. My family loves it here, so if there’s a way to make it work, it’d be great. At the end of the day, it’s a business. My contract negotiations, I probably know as little as [the media does] right now.”
