Eddie Robinson (Grambling football coach)

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Edward Gary Robinson
Title Head coach
Sport Football
Born February 13, 1919(1919-02-13)
Place of birth Jackson, Louisiana
Died April 3, 2007 (aged 88)
Place of death Ruston, Louisiana
Career highlights
Overall 408–165–15
Coaching stats
College Football DataWarehouse
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1941–1997 Grambling
College Football Hall of Fame, 1997 (Bio)

Edward Gay Robinson (February 13, 1919 – April 3, 2007) was an African American college football coach.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Robinson was born in Jackson, Louisiana to the son of a sharecropper and a domestic worker. He went on to graduate from McKinley Senior High School in Baton Rouge in 1937. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Leland College (an unaccredited institution) in Baker in East Baton Rouge Parish, then went on to obtain his Master's degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1954. Robinson was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

[edit] Career

Robinson spent fifty-six years as the head coach at historically black Grambling State University in Grambling in Lincoln Parish in northern Louisiana, from 1941 through 1997.

During his tenure, Robinson established himself as the winningest coach in college football history, becoming the first coach to record 400 wins (although 45 of his wins occurred before Grambling was an accredited college). Robinson is second on the list of wins by a college coach, immediately behind active coach John Gagliardi of St. John's University (Minnesota). Robinson retired with a record of 408 wins, 165 losses and 15 ties. More than 200 of his players went on to play in the American Football League and in the NFL. Robinson coached three American Football League players who would later be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the Kansas City Chiefs' Buck Buchanan; the Oakland Raiders' Willie Brown; and the Houston Oilers' Charlie Joiner. Robinson also coached James Harris, who with the AFL's Buffalo Bills became the first black quarterback in modern Pro Football history to start at that position in a season opener. He also coached Packers defensive end and Hall of Famer Willie Davis and the Super Bowl XXII MVP, Redskins quarterback Doug Williams, who would ultimately succeed Robinson as Grambling's head coach in 1998.

During his coaching career, Robinson compiled 45 winning seasons, including winning or sharing 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and eight black college football national championships [1].

After several losing seasons in the 1990s, pressure mounted for Robinson to resign. In 1997, news escaped that Grambling was planning to dismiss him. Public outcry — including condemnation from Louisiana elected officials — led Grambling to retain Robinson's services through the remainder of the season.

Robinson died on April 3, 2007, at Lincoln General Hospital in Ruston, Louisiana, after being admitted earlier in the day.[2]

Surprisingly, while at Grambling, Eddie Robinson held several jobs other than Football coach, including teaching at Grambling High School, and coaching the girls' basketball team during the war. His girls team lost the state championship by 1 point.

[edit] Coaching Record

Year (*Grambling was not an accredited college during these seasons) Team W L T Pct. PF Natioanal Champions
1941* Grambling 3 5 0 .375 18 47
1942* Grambling 9 0 0 1.000 93 0
1945* Grambling 10 2 0 .833 214 65
1946* Grambling 6 6 0 .500 174 145
1947* Grambling 9 2 0 .818 245 64
1948* Grambling 8 3 0 .727 289 110
1949 Grambling 7 3 2 .667 234 95
1950 Grambling 5 3 1 .611 160 156
1951 Grambling 3 5 1 .389 147 154
1952 Grambling 7 3 1 .682 208 184
1953 Grambling 8 2 0 .800 246 88
1954 Grambling 4 3 2 .556 206 140
1955 Grambling 10 0 0 1.000 330 54
1956 Grambling 8 1 0 .889 312 97
1957 Grambling 4 4 0 .500 212 187
1958 Grambling 6 3 0 .667 238 132
1959 Grambling 4 6 0 .400 268 145
1960 Grambling 9 1 0 .900 417 78
1961 Grambling 8 2 0 .800 375 110
1962 Grambling 6 2 2 .700 281 144
1963 Grambling 5 3 1 .611 249 151
1964 Grambling 9 2 0 .818 314 181
1965 Grambling 8 3 0 .727 352 195
1966 Grambling 6 2 1 .722 267 199
1967 Grambling 9 1 0 .900 318 145
1968 Grambling 9 2 0 .818 314 201
1969 Grambling 6 4 0 .600 324 196
1970 Grambling 9 2 0 .818 384 183
1971 Grambling 9 2 0 .818 341 147
1972 Grambling 11 2 0 .846 347 123
1973 Grambling 10 3 0 .769 340 176
1974 Grambling 11 1 0 .917 308 120
1975 Grambling 10 1 0 .909 324 153
1976 Grambling 8 3 0 .727 313 201
1977 Grambling 10 1 0 .909 462 175
1978 Grambling 9 1 1 .864 246 120
1979 Grambling 8 3 0 .727 281 144
1980 Grambling 10 2 0 .833 415 166
1981 Grambling 6 4 1 .591 235 208
1982 Grambling 8 3 0 .727 322 193
1983 Grambling 8 1 2 .818 286 95
1984 Grambling 7 4 0 .636 278 203
1985 Grambling 9 3 0 .750 317 168
1986 Grambling 7 4 0 .636 249 195
1987 Grambling 5 6 0 .455 278 208
1988 Grambling 8 3 0 .727 314 185
1989 Grambling 9 3 0 .750 464 215
1990 Grambling 8 3 0 .727 364 227
1991 Grambling 5 6 0 .455 330 338
1992 Grambling 10 2 0 .833 483 242
1993 Grambling 7 4 0 .636 337 206
1994 Grambling 9 3 0 .750 479 262
1995 Grambling 5 6 0 .455 340 191
1996 Grambling 3 8 0 .273 161 218
1997 Grambling 3 8 0 .273 187 258
CAREER TOTAL 408 165 15 .707 15990 8783

[edit] Honors & Awards

The Football Writers of America's Eddie Robinson Award award is named for him. Grambling, a predominantly black community, also named its football facility Eddie Robinson Stadium.

[edit] See also

  • Grambling Tigers Football
Preceded by
Program started		 Grambling Tigers Head Football Coach
1941–1997		 Succeeded by
Doug Williams (football player)


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ EDDIE ROBINSON: 1919-2007 - Robinson's Record. The Advocate. April 5, 2007
  2. ^ Ex-grambling coach Robinson dead at 88. Associated Press. April 4, 2007.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award winners

1976: V. Dooley | 1977: B. Schembechler | 1978: T. Osborne  | 1979: L. Edwards  | 1980: B. Bowden  | 1981: J. Paterno  | 1982: G. MacIntyre  | 1983: K. Hatfield  | 1984: J. Wacker  | 1985: F. DeBerry 1986: D. Sheridan  | 1987: D. MacPherson  | 1988: D. Nehlen  | 1989: B. Curry  | 1990: B. Ross  | 1991: G. Welsh  | 1992: E. Robinson  | 1993: B. Alvarez  | 1994: F. Goldsmith  | 1995: G. Barnett  | 1996: B. Sutton  | 1997: M. Price  | 1998: B. Snyder  | 1999: F. Beamer  | 2000: G. O'Leary  | 2001: R. Friedgen  | 2002: J. Tressel  | 2003: B. Stoops  | 2004: P. Johnson  | 2005: J. Paterno  | 2006: J. Grobe  | 2007: L. Carr
v • d • e
Grambling State Tigers Head Football Coaches

Jones • Johnson • Hines • Robinson • Williams • Spears • Broadway
v • d • e
Grambling State Tigers Head Basketball Coaches

Garner • Johnson • Robinson • Hobdy • Hopkins • James • Reynolds • Wright
Persondata
NAME Robinson, Eddie Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American college football coach
DATE OF BIRTH February 13, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Jackson, Louisiana, United States
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH Ruston, Louisiana, United States