Ex-Michigan football defensive coordinator Greg Robinson dies at 70
Former Michigan football assistant Greg Robinson died Wednesday at 70, according to his son Dominic.
Robinson’s was reported by Syracuse.com. The former U-M coordinator was living in California, and his death was the result of a form of Alzheimer’s Disease, according to his son.
Robinson was the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2009-10. Michigan ranked 83rd nationally in total yards allowed per game in 2009 and 110th in 2010. He was fired along with head coach Rich Rodriguez after the 2010 season.
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The Los Angeles native coached at nine colleges from 1975-2015, including a four-year stint as head coach at Syracuse from 2005-08, during which he went 10-37. His most recent job was as San Jose State’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2014-15. He also spent 14 years coaching in the NFL (from 1990-2003), with the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. He won two Super Bowls as the Broncos' defensive coordinator (1997-98).
Robinson was mostly a defensive coach, though he did spend a season as UCLA’s offensive coordinator in 1989. He was good friends with noted defensive gurus Monte Kiffin and Pete Carroll.
"I draw from a lot of things," Robinson said when he was hired in Ann Arbor in 2009. "You pirate, you see something somebody's doing, and that's a good thought. You have to see if you can incorporate something in there. I have people I talk to throughout the offseason when you're trying to learn. It's as much about understanding the offense, and that's an advantage of mine that I've coached on the offensive side of the ball."
Free Press sports writer Mark Snyder contributed to this report.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Michigan football DC Greg Robinson dies at 70
