Gregory McIntosh Robinson (October 9 1951 – January 5 2022) was an American football player and coach. He served as head football coach at Syracuse University from 2005 to 2008 and held a variety of assistant‑coach positions in both college football and the National Football League (NFL). As a defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos, he was a member of the coaching staff for two Super Bowl‑winning teams (Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII).
Early life and playing career
Robinson was born in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from Garcés Memorial High School in Bakersfield. He played junior‑college football at Bakersfield College before transferring to the University of the Pacific, where he played linebacker, center, and tight end from 1972 to 1974.
Coaching career
College coaching
- 1975‑1976 – Pacific (assistant)
- 1977‑1979 – Cal State Fullerton (assistant)
- 1980‑1981 – North Carolina State (linebackers)
- 1982‑1988 – UCLA (defensive line) and 1989 (offensive coordinator)
NFL coaching
- 1990‑1993 – New York Jets (defensive line)
- 1994 – New York Jets (defensive coordinator)
- 1995‑2000 – Denver Broncos (defensive coordinator); Broncos won Super Bowls XXXII (1997) and XXXIII (1998)
- 2001‑2003 – Kansas City Chiefs (defensive coordinator)
Return to college
- 2004 – Texas (co‑defensive coordinator)
- 2005‑2008 – Syracuse (head coach) – compiled a 5‑37 overall record (2‑25 in the Big East), the lowest winning percentage for a non‑interim Syracuse coach.
- 2009‑2010 – Michigan (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
- 2012 – Saint Francis High School (California) (assistant)
- 2013 – Texas (defensive analyst, then defensive coordinator after Manny Diaz’s dismissal) – helped improve Texas’s defense dramatically, leading the Big 12 in sacks and limiting Oregon’s high‑scoring offense in the 2013 Alamo Bowl.
Head coaching record
- Overall record: 5 wins – 37 losses
Accomplishments and honors
- Two Super Bowl championships as defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos (1997, 1998)
Robinson died on January 5 2022 in Carpinteria, California, at the age of 70.