Former USC Football Head Coach John Robinson To Receive Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award

Former USC football head coach John Robinson was named the 2022 recipient of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award, part of the American Heart Association's Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards and presented by Memorial Hermann Health System, will be given on Jan. 12, 2022 in Houston, Tex. Now in its 36th year, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the outstanding achievements and extraordinary contribution on and off the field made through the careers of some of college football's finest coaches.

Robinson noted that receiving the award was an honor and privilege as well as a "a true, full-circle moment" because he coached against Bryant twice while at USC, a loss in 1977 and a victory in 1978.

Robinson — one of USC's most popular and successful football coaches — guided the Trojans to the 1978 national championship and into 8 bowl games. He won 74.1% of his games while compiling a 104-35-4 record during 2 coaching stints spread over 12 years at Troy (1976-82 and 1993-97), recording more victories than any USC gridiron coach except John McKay and Howard Jones. He was 4-0 in the Rose Bowl.

He produced 24 All-American first teamers, 22 NFL first rounders, 2 Heisman Trophy winners and a Lombardi Award winner at USC. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2004, the College Football Hall of Fame and the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, the Las Vegas Bowl Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018. He twice was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1976 and 1978).

After spending 12 years (1960-71) as an assistant at Oregon, his alma mater, Robinson became a Trojan assistant for 3 seasons (1972-74) as Troy won a pair of national crowns.

He also served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams (1983-91), twice advancing to the NFC title game, and at UNLV (1999-2004), and was an assistant with the Oakland Raiders in 1975.

After coaching, he did analysis on college football national radio broadcasts and was a development officer with the USC athletic department. He currently serves as a senior consultant with the LSU football program.