Robinson named Michigan defensive coordinator

January 20, 7:31 PMMichigan Wolverines ExaminerFrank Benson

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New Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson

It was a college football trade.

The Michigan Wolverines get former Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson as new defensive coordinator. Former U-M defensive coordinator Scott Schafer goes to the Orangemen.

Michigan signed Robinson on Tuesday, he was fired by Syracuse back in November. Schafer resigned from the Wolverine staff after the regular season and signed on at Syracuse earlier this month.

Fans from both schools can compare and contrast and figure out who got the better deal.

Robinson, 57, had a glittering coaching resume until he landed in Syracuse in his first head coaching position. Robinson, from Los Angeles, spent 10 of his 14 years coaching in the NFL as a defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and New York Jets. In seven of those 14 years, Robinson’s teams made the playoffs, including back-to-back Super Bowl wins with the Broncos.

As a college assistant coach, Robinson won Rose Bowls with UCLA and Texas.

Schafer was coordinator at Michigan last year as the Wolverines allowed a school-record 347 points as the school compiled a disappointing 3-9 mark, the first losing mark for U-M since the 1960s.

Robinson had a horrible record at Syracuse, 10-37 in four years, including 3-25 in Big East play.

He had three double-digit loss seasons for the Orange, the only ones in school history.

Until about a decade ago, Syracuse was an Eastern football power. Many Michigan fans can remember when quarterback Donovan McNabb led Syracuse to a victory at the Big House in Sept. 1998. Playing in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse is one of two Division I football schools in New York State (the other one is Buffalo, of the Mid-American Conference).

Syracuse is the school of Jim Brown and Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis.

In Robinson’s first game as head coach at Syracuse he lost to West Virginia and head coach Rich Rodriguez, now Michigan’s head coach and Robinson’s boss.

Robinson, a former linebacker, played at Bakersfield Junior College and the University of Pacific.

“Greg brings a wealth of experience as a defensive coordinator tor to our program,” said Rodriguez. “We welcome him.”