Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1958, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1996 Rose Bowl Games
2003 Inductee
John Robinson’s four wins (in as many appearances) makes him one of the winningest head coaches in Rose Bowl Game history. He guided the USC Trojans to the 1977, ’79, ’80 and ’96 Rose Bowl Games. The Trojans won a national championship in the 1978 season. The following year, Robinson earned national Coach of the Year honors.
Prior to being the head coach, Robinson was the offensive coordinator at USC for the 1973 and ’75 Rose Bowl Games, and the Trojans won both. Robinson’s lone Rose Bowl Game loss was as a player in 1958, when he was an end for the Oregon Ducks. He was only on the field for the last play of the game; though his team lost, Robinson said it was “like a dream for me.”
After a nine-year stint in the NFL, Robinson returned to USC, coaching the Trojans from 1993 to 1997, and winning his final Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day in 1996. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
