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.
HERNING, Denmark — After a goalless opening period, the United States went on to secure its place in the quarterfinals of the ice hockey world championship with a 6-1 rout of Kazakhstan on Sunday.
The Americans are tied atop Group B with the Czech Republic on 14 points, one more than Switzerland. The already qualified Czechs and Swiss have two more games to play in the preliminary round. The U.S. completes the group stage against the Czechs on Tuesday.
“I thought we were ready to play out of the gate,” U.S. head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We need to continue to build and get ready for what will be a big challenge on Tuesday against the Czechs.”
Despite an unproductive first period in Herning, the U.S. jumped to a commanding five-goal lead in the second.
Frank Nazar broke the deadlock 6:58 into the period with a shot from the left circle above the glove of Sergei Kudryavtsev. The forward added two assists later in the game.
Defenseman Jackson Lacombe wristed a shot from the blue line through heavy traffic to double the lead with 8:14 to go in the second period.
The next two goals came in a span of 58 seconds.
Forward Tage Thompson scored his fifth at the tournament — after receiving a pass from defenseman Zeev Buium — to make it 3-0 with 6:00 left. Matty Beniers increased the advantage to four from the left circle before Michael Kesselring scored with a high shot from a tight angle from the boards 56 seconds before the end of the period.
U.S. defensive star Zach Werenski skated toward the goal before beating backup goalie Maxim Pavlenko who came on at the beginning of the final period.
In Stockholm, Austria beat Slovenia 3-2 in a shootout to keep alive its hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. Austria is tied in fourth with Slovakia in Group A.
The top four teams from each group will advance.
Later Sunday, Switzerland meets Hungary in Herning and Slovakia plays Latvia in Stockholm.
The 24-year-old Matthews closed out last season in the Twins’ rotation and fashioned a 1-4 record with a 6.69 ERA in nine starts. He has produced a 2-1 record with a 1.93 ERA in seven starts for St. Paul, which includes 38 strikeouts and nine walks over 32⅔ innings.
The Twins, who carry a 13-game winning streak into Sunday’s game, also selected the contract of outfielder Carson McCusker, a 26-year-old who has yet to make his big league debut. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound slugger is hitting .350 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs in 38 games this season for St. Paul.
The task ahead of Matthews is to try to continue a hot pitching streak that has seen the Twins record three straight shutouts, including in the first two games of the Brewers series. Minnesota enters Sunday with a collective 3.15 ERA that ranks No. 3 in the majors.
The active stretch of 33 straight shutout innings is the longest such streak in Twins history, which began in 1961. They had three longer shutout streaks when they were the Washington Senators, but the most recent of those took place in 1913.
To accommodate Matthews’ arrival, the Twins placed reliever Danny Coulombe (left forearm extensor strain) on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday. Coulombe has yet to allow a run this season in 16⅔ innings.
To make room for McCusker, the Twins shifted rookie Luke Keaschall to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Keaschall fractured his right forearm April 25 against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
