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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Ground-breaking Grambling coach Robinson dies at 88
The NCAA News
Longtime Grambling State University football coach Eddie Robinson died April 3 in Ruston, Louisiana, after living for nearly 10 years with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 88.
Robinson, for whom the Football Writers of America coach of the year award is named, was the first coach in college football history to record 400 wins. In his 56 years at Grambling, he posted a 408-165-15 record, a mark passed only by current St. John’s University (Minnesota) coach John Gagliardi. In his career at Grambling, Robinson won 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships and nine black college national championships while graduating more than 80 percent of his players.
Robinson was widely regarded as a pioneer for civil rights. In an afterword to Robinson’s 1999 autobiography, Rev. Jesse Jackson called Robinson a hero.
“He helped break barriers for African-American people,” Jackson wrote. “Without question, Eddie Robinson is an ambassador for our people, not only African-Americans but all the American people.”
In that same autobiography, Robinson gave credit to his players and assistant coaches for his prolific victory total. “I’m not concerned about personal records. All they mean is that I was around a long time,” he said. “I didn’t block or tackle anybody. I just tried to give encouragement to the young men who have played for me. That record belongs to everybody.”
Robinson retired from Grambling in 1997. The school’s football facility is called Eddie Robinson Stadium and the institution has begun fund-raising for the Eddie Robinson Museum, an 8,000-square-foot facility that will collect, preserve and exhibit documents, archives, art and artifacts from Robinson’s life and career.
Robinson held a bachelor’s degree from Leland College and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa.
All-time victories
Coach/Inst. Yrs. W L T Pct.
1. John Gagliardi* 58 443 120 11 .781
Carroll (Mont.) 1949-52, St. John’s (Minn.)1953-05
2. Eddie Robinson 44 408 165 15 .707
Grambling 1941-42, 45-97
3. Bobby Bowden 41 366 113 4 .762
Samford 1959-62, West Virginia 1970-75, Florida St. 1976-05
4. Joe Paterno* 41 363 121 3 .749
Penn St. 1966-05
5. Bear Bryant 38 323 85 17 .780
Maryland 1945, Kentucky 1946-53, Texas A&M
1954-57, Alabama 1958-82
* Active
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The NCAA News
Longtime Grambling State University football coach Eddie Robinson died April 3 in Ruston, Louisiana, after living for nearly 10 years with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 88.Robinson, for whom the Football Writers of America coach of the year award is named, was the first coach in college football history to record 400 wins. In his 56 years at Grambling, he posted a 408-165-15 record, a mark passed only by current St. John’s University (Minnesota) coach John Gagliardi. In his career at Grambling, Robinson won 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships and nine black college national championships while graduating more than 80 percent of his players.
Robinson was widely regarded as a pioneer for civil rights. In an afterword to Robinson’s 1999 autobiography, Rev. Jesse Jackson called Robinson a hero.
“He helped break barriers for African-American people,” Jackson wrote. “Without question, Eddie Robinson is an ambassador for our people, not only African-Americans but all the American people.”
In that same autobiography, Robinson gave credit to his players and assistant coaches for his prolific victory total. “I’m not concerned about personal records. All they mean is that I was around a long time,” he said. “I didn’t block or tackle anybody. I just tried to give encouragement to the young men who have played for me. That record belongs to everybody.”
Robinson retired from Grambling in 1997. The school’s football facility is called Eddie Robinson Stadium and the institution has begun fund-raising for the Eddie Robinson Museum, an 8,000-square-foot facility that will collect, preserve and exhibit documents, archives, art and artifacts from Robinson’s life and career.
Robinson held a bachelor’s degree from Leland College and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa.
All-time victories
Coach/Inst. Yrs. W L T Pct.
1. John Gagliardi* 58 443 120 11 .781
Carroll (Mont.) 1949-52, St. John’s (Minn.)1953-05
2. Eddie Robinson 44 408 165 15 .707
Grambling 1941-42, 45-97
3. Bobby Bowden 41 366 113 4 .762
Samford 1959-62, West Virginia 1970-75, Florida St. 1976-05
4. Joe Paterno* 41 363 121 3 .749
Penn St. 1966-05
5. Bear Bryant 38 323 85 17 .780
Maryland 1945, Kentucky 1946-53, Texas A&M
1954-57, Alabama 1958-82
* Active
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