John Robinson (football coach)

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John Robinson (football coach)
Date of birth	July 25, 1935 (age 71)
Place of birth	Chicago, Illinois
Position(s)	Head Coach
College	Oregon
Career Record	79-74
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1983-1991 1976-1982, 1993-1997 1999-2004	Los Angeles Rams Southern California UNLV

John Alexander Robinson (born July 25, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football coach best-known for his two stints as head coach for the University of Southern California (USC) football team and for his tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, an NFL football team.

Robinson coached at USC from 1976-1982 and again from 1993-1997, putting up a career record as a college head coach of 104-35-4, for a winning percentage of .741. He began his coaching career at the University of Oregon, his alma mater, where he served as an assistant coach from 1960-1971. He served as USC offensive coordinator in 1972, then served a stint as the Oakland Raiders' backfield coach in 1975. In the latter position, he rejoined boyhood friend and future Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden.

Robinson is considered one of the more successful coaches in Rams history, twice leading the team to the NFC title game. Both of those contests ended in defeat against eventual Super Bowl champions, the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. Robinson's tenure as Rams coach was made more difficult by the fact that the Rams played in the same division as the 49ers, the dominant team of the 1980's, but he was also the coach who drafted running back Eric Dickerson.

Robinson was hired to coach the football at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1998. In 2002 he was chosen as the university's athletic director, but he stepped down from that position a year later to concentrate on the coaching position. Despite being relieved of duty as athletic director, his tenure ended on a disappointing note with the Rebels going 2-9 in his final season in 2004.

Preceded by John McKay	University of Southern California Head Football Coach 1976–1982	Succeeded by Ted Tollner
Preceded by Ray Malavasi	Los Angeles Rams Head Coach 1983–1991	Succeeded by Chuck Knox
Preceded by Larry Smith	University of Southern California Head Football Coach 1993–1997	Succeeded by Paul Hackett
Preceded by Jeff Horton	UNLV Head Football Coach 1999–2004	Succeeded by Mike Sanford

Saint Louis Rams Head Coaches
Bezdek • Lewis • Clark • Donelli • Walsh • Snyder • Shaughnessy • Stydahar • Pool • Gillman • Waterfield • Svare • Allen • Prothro • Knox • Malavasi • Robinson • Knox • Brooks • Vermeil • Martz • Vitt • Linehan