Legendary football coach John Robinson passed away on Monday at the age of 89. While better known for his college success with the USC Trojans, Robinson also had a successful NFL head coaching stint with the Los Angeles Rams.
John Robinson’s Coaching Career
Robinson began his coaching career at his alma mater, Oregon, but became known for his time with a different Pac-12-turned-Big-Ten program. USC made Robinson its head coach in 1976 after John McKay left to coach the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.
Robinson enjoyed two separate stints with USC, first from 1976-82 and again from 1993-97. In those 12 seasons, Robinson compiled a record of 104-35-4, three Rose Bowl victories, and a national championship in 1978.
However, he also had a solid NFL head coaching tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, coaching them for nine seasons from 1983-91 between his USC stints. Robinson stepped down from USC and made one of the more successful college-to-NFL transitions of any coach.
In his nine seasons, Robinson compiled a record of 75-68 (.524) and led the Rams to the playoffs six times, including each of his first four seasons. Robinson is still the Rams’ all-time wins leader, though Sean McVay (74 wins entering Week 10 of 2024) will be the franchise record-holder in short order.
September 4, 1983
CBS Sports' Pat Summerall and John Madden welcome us in to the 1983 #NFL campaign — the #Rams–#Giants season opener.
The NFL head coaching debuts for Bill Parcells and John Robinson, who was Madden's best friend
The game's NFL Films highlights follow, after… pic.twitter.com/0eIPSy7DWm
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) September 5, 2024
The Rams twice reached the NFC Championship Game under Robinson but had the misfortune of facing two of the greatest teams ever. In 1985, the Rams shut out the Dallas Cowboys 20-0 in the Divisional Round, only to have the famous ’85 Bears return the favor in a 24-0 defeat the next week.
"Bear Weather'
37 Years Ago Today…The 1985 NFC Championship#Bears 24, Rams 0 pic.twitter.com/qIshhpVxHT
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 12, 2023
Los Angeles was a Wild Card team in 1989 and won a pair of road games over the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants to reach the same round, but they fell against the defending champion San Francisco 49ers by a 30-3 score. The Niners went 14-2 that year and won their three playoff games by a cumulative score of 126-26, solidifying themselves as one of the best teams ever.
OTD 1990
° 1989 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP °The #49ers avenge one of their two losses of the 1989 season with a convincing 30-3 victory over the Rams at Candlestick — San Francisco's fourth NFC title of the decade.
Niners: 442 total yds, 29 first downs
Rams: 156 total yds, 9 first downs pic.twitter.com/K8zofp9omT— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 14, 2023
Robinson was also known for his friendship with John Madden, the legendary NFL coach and broadcaster who passed away in 2021. Robinson and Madden attended school growing up together, graduating from Junipero Serra High School in 1954 (the same school that produced Tom Brady, Barry Bonds, and Lynn Swann).