JOE ROBINSON ADDED TO COACHING STAFF
Spurrier Hires Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
COLUMBIA,
S.C. - University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier
has tabbed Joe Robinson as the team’s special teams coordinator and
tight ends coach, it was announced today.
Robinson, the 2010
FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year, joins the Gamecock
staff after one season at the University of North Carolina where he
coached the defensive line.
“We are pleased to announce Joe
Robinson as our special teams coach,” said Coach Spurrier. “He has many
years of experience and his special teams had the No. 1 overall ranking
in the SEC in 2009. Our special teams will be in good hands under Coach
Robinson and we look forward to having him and his family become
Gamecocks.”
“I’m excited to be here and thankful to become part
of Coach Spurrier’s staff,” said Robinson. “He’s done a great job with
this program and my family is excited about this opportunity.”
Prior
to his arrival in Chapel Hill, Robinson spent three seasons as the
defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at LSU. In his
award-winning 2010 season, the Tigers’ special teams finished in the
top 13 nationally in net punting, kickoff return average and punt
return average while earning a trip to the Cotton Bowl. In 2009, LSU's
special teams combined to rank No. 1 overall in the SEC as the Tigers
led the league in both kickoff coverage (44.5 net average) and punt
returns (18.9). LSU was the only team in the league to rank among the
top three in the conference in four special teams categories. Kick
returner Trinton Holliday led the SEC and ranked No. 2 in the nation in
punt returns and was selected in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston
Texans.
Robinson has coached a variety of positions during his
coaching career, including defensive line, special teams, linebackers
and running backs. He also has experience as a recruiting coordinator
at Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech.
He began his collegiate
coaching career at Louisiana Tech where he served as a defensive line
coach and recruiting coordinator from 1989-91. Robinson then coached
seven seasons at Southern Miss where he tutored the defensive line
(1992-93), linebackers (1994-95) and special teams (1996-98) while also
earning a master’s degree. He returned to Louisiana Tech for one year
(2001), and also logged stints at Houston (2002) and Central Florida
(2003).
Robinson coached defensive ends and special teams for
four seasons at Arizona from 2004-07. He coached a number of
outstanding special teams performers with the Wildcats, including NFL
draft picks Antoine Cason, (1st round by San Diego), Nick Folk (6th
round by Dallas) and Syndric Steptoe (7th round by Cleveland). In 2004,
Robinson coached on the same Arizona staff as current South Carolina
wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier, Jr.
A 1985 graduate of LSU,
Robinson's first coaching job came as an assistant at Catholic High
School of Pointe Coupee in 1986. He was promoted to head coach in 1987.
Robinson spent the 1988 season as the defensive coordinator at Bastrop
High School.
Born Sept. 12, 1960 in Abilene, Texas, Robinson and his wife, Abby, have three daughters, Alexandra, Madeline and Valerie.
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