He’s the Winner and Still Coach

USC football Coach John Robinson emerged as the weekend winner Monday, apparently having prevailed in a clash of wills with Athletic Director Mike Garrett over the makeup of Robinson’s coaching staff.

Garrett and Robinson appeared together at a news conference to announce Robinson’s return next season, which everyone knew going in. The real news was served up by Robinson, who, in answer to a question, said that none of his assistant coaches “would be sacrificed, just as I wasn’t sacrificed.”

Neither indicated that Saturday’s upset of Notre Dame had anything to do with decisions made in a long Sunday meeting involving them and USC President Steven B. Sample, but Robinson seemed unmistakably in command of the football program Monday.

Garrett has told associates for more than a year that he was unhappy with several of Robinson’s assistants, among them offensive coordinator Mike Riley, whose pass-oriented offense he has called “too passive.”

And as losses mounted this season--USC finished 6-6--both men admitted Monday that a gulf had widened between them.

“John and I don’t always see eye to eye,” said Garrett, the 1965 Heisman Trophy winner at USC.

Robinson, after explaining that he, Sample and Garrett had “sat around for quite a while [Sunday at Sample’s Pasadena home] and talked about the crisis,” said he and Garrett resolved to communicate better.

“We’re determined not to allow any separation to come between us,” Robinson said. “A lot of this is communication. . . . We both have the best interests of this university at heart.”

Robinson added, “We talked about working together to make it happen. . . . That’s how successful people do things. Our crisis ended last night. We decided to move on and have some big-time years. We’re two people who are working toward a more important endeavor than either one of us.”

Garrett was noticeably absent from the USC locker room Saturday night, a point referred to by junior defensive tackle Darrell Russell, one of several players attending the news conference.

When asked about speculation that Robinson’s job had been endangered, Russell said: “When you have an athletic director who stops coming to practice and the locker room after the games--yeah, you wonder about that. [Brad] Otton spoke for a lot of us when he wondered [publicly] why the administration wasn’t supporting Coach.”

Garrett and Sample repeatedly said during the Trojans’ three-game losing streak that an evaluation of the coaching staff would be made after the season.

Garrett indicated Monday that he had completed his evaluation Sunday, after consulting, he said, “with key alumni, senior vice presidents and the president.”

Garrett and Robinson acknowledged friction between them during the season.

“The perception that John and I don’t get along--it’s not as bad as some people think, and not as good as I’d like it to be,” Garrett said.

Several times Monday, Robinson accepted responsibility for the 6-6 record. The Trojans began the season as overwhelming favorites to win the Pacific 10 but lost five of their last eight games, three in a row to Washington, Stanford and UCLA.

“This has been a particularly miserable season,” he said.

“We couldn’t get things right. And that responsibility is mine. We got into a crisis and weren’t playing to our potential. I take full responsibility for that.”

Robinson said that in the Sunday meeting, “no demands were made” that any assistant coaches be fired.

Garrett delivered a mild jab to reporters for a stream of stories pointing out that during the three-game losing streak, he and Sample had nothing to say about Robinson’s future.

“Many of you have criticized us for not stepping up sooner and showing support,” he said.

“We will not be stampeded into that kind of decision-making. We evaluate after the season and support during the season.”

Garrett said the losses created the rift between him and his coach.

“Losing at SC is tough, because we expect to win,” he said. “I didn’t like it, and John didn’t like it and we didn’t talk as much.”

When asked about Sunday’s meeting coming on the heels of the victory over Notre Dame, he replied, “Let’s just say Notre Dame made it easier to talk.”

Was Robinson’s job ever really in danger?

“Any time you lose at a major program like this, you think that, yes,” Garrett replied.

Later Monday, Sample defended the way he and Garrett handled the matter of Robinson’s status.

“Mike [Garrett] will not seek a coach’s dismissal during a season without my approval. It never crossed my mind.”

This, after Garrett said that it had crossed his.

“No, it could not have been handled better,” Sample said.

“Losing a few games is not reason enough for a preemptive evaluation. We don’t need to get hysterical.”

Garrett cited USC’s football graduation rate of 75% as one of several factors compelling enough for Robinson to be retained.

When asked if the makeup of his staff had been discussed Sunday, he said, “It was talked about. The recommendation was that I now not only evaluate myself but also all the people who work for me.”

Robinson closed with a remark that indicated the pain level at Heritage Hall this season:

“We’ve lived through hell, babe, and come out the other end of it.”

* BOWL UPDATE

Notre Dame is probably not going anywhere. Miami will stay close to home by accepting Carquest berth. C8