Coaching a team can require complete devotion, perseverance, commitment and extreme leadership. Former Bakersfield College student and athlete Greg Robinson plans to provide Syracuse University’s football team with just that.
Robinson, 53, has been hired as the head football coach at Syracuse. He is a Garces High graduate who attended BC in the fall of 1970. After a year and a half, he transferred to the University of Pacific in Stockton.
He has been coaching for more than three decades and is looking forward to the 2005 football season. Robinson is not at all hesitant to discuss his qualifications for coaching at the Division I level.
“I feel that I have enough experience in different phases of the game – offensive, defensive, and special team coordination,” said Robinson in a telephone interview with The Rip.
He plans to tackle all of the responsibilities and duties that will come with his position. He doesn’t really intend on making many changes, but rather implementing similar tactics.
“Honestly, I really haven’t evaluated last season’s statistics, but what were going to do this year is really play hard, enthusiastic, defense-tackling football,” Robinson said.
Last season, Syracuse finished 6-6. The offense completed 181 out of 319 passes for 2,043 yards.
This upcoming season entails a pro-style attack balanced with running and throwing more passes, said Robinson. Robinson will coach 15 returning starters, such as Damien Rhodes and Anthony Smith.
Robinson said he does not believe that this season will be a rebuilding process. “It wouldn’t be fair to the seniors, but rather I want to emphasize senior players to take it upon themselves to share the commitment and leadership that is necessary to make this team run well,” he said.
His coaching philosophy is built on developing young people to the fullest extent academically, socially and athletically. “My style of dealing with players is based upon trust, discipline and perseverance,” he said.
This is Robinson’s first head coaching position in 30 years; however, he has no regrets in having waited so long. “Being a head football coach has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Robinson said.
Coaching football had always been one of Robinson’s ambitions. He never intended to be an NFL coordinator, and he doesn’t plan to go back to being a NFL coordinator.
“I had 14 great years in the NFL, but this is what I want to do,” said Robinson.
Robinson has more than 30 years of experience under his belt at the college level (North Carolina State, UCLA, University of Texas) and professional level (New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs).
Throughout his career, he has obtained two Super Bowl rings and four Rose Bowl championships.
His two Super Bowl rings came with the Denver Broncos’ back-to-back wins in 1997-98. He was with UCLA for his first three Rose Bowl wins in 1983, ’84 and ’86.
He then got his fourth Rose Bowl victory with the University of Texas in 2004.Robinson said he plans to continue coachiing football for another three decades.
“I figure I should be done with coaching by the time I’m 90,” Robinson said.