Longtime USC and Los Angeles Rams head coach John Robinson died on Monday, both the university and franchise confirmed.

Robinson died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, due to complications from pneumonia. He was 89.



Robinson first took over at USC in 1976 after spending time as an assistant with the Trojans and at both Oregon and with the Oakland Raiders. He spent 12 total years at the helm at USC and led it to a national championship during the 1978 campaign. He compiled a 104-35-4 record during his two stints leading the Trojans, which has him as the third-winningest coach in program history. He led the team to five Pac-10 championships and he went a perfect 4-0 in the Rose Bowl, too. Two players, Charles White and Marcus Allen, won the Heisman Trophy under his watch.


Robinson first took over at USC in 1976 after spending time as an assistant with the Trojans and at both Oregon and with the Oakland Raiders. He spent 12 total years at the helm at USC and led it to a national championship during the 1978 campaign. He compiled a 104-35-4 record during his two stints leading the Trojans, which has him as the third-winningest coach in program history. He led the team to five Pac-10 championships and he went a perfect 4-0 in the Rose Bowl, too. Two players, Charles White and Marcus Allen, won the Heisman Trophy under his watch.

Robinson left USC after the 1982 campaign to make the jump to the NFL, where he took over as the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach for Ray Malavasi. He went 75-68 over his nine seasons with the Rams and reached the NFC championship game twice. He was fired after the 1991 campaign, which marked his second straight losing season.

His 79 total wins with the organization were the most by a single head coach in team history up until last month, when current head coach Sean McVay picked up his 80th career win.

After his second run at USC, from 1993-97, Robinson also served as UNLV’s head coach from 1999-2004. He went 28-42 there and reached a single bowl game in his six seasons with the Rebels. He also briefly worked as the school's athletic director.

Following his retirement from coaching, Robinson served as a national college football analyst, worked as a development officer with the USC athletic department and worked as a consultant with the LSU football team with former coach Ed Orgeron. He was with the program when they won the national championship in the 2019 season, too.

Robinson was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Tom Izzo on His Potential Successor: "I'm going to call Mateen Cleaves, Steve Smith, Magic Johnson, and Draymond Green​

Tom Izzo doesn't know when he's going to be done coaching at Michigan State, but when he does he's going to consult with some of the former great players in the history of the Spartans' program about who his potential successor may be.

"I got no interest in getting out of it," Izzo said Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast. "When I'm done, I'm going to talk to Mateen Cleaves, Steve Smith, Magic Johnson, and Draymond Green. I don't want to lose the culture that I've seen for 40 years as a GA on up. I think it's being lost somewhat now in college sports. Not just for me, but the players who come back and are a part of things. At least here at Michigan State, it's important. It may not be that way at other places."

Izzo has been the Spartans' head coach since 1995 and first joined Michigan State's program in 1983 as an assistant.

The Spartans are currently ranked 35th in the ROTHSTEIN 45 and will next face Kansas on Tuesday night in Atlanta as part of the Champions Classic.