University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Gophers Mourn the Passing of J Robinson
3/30/2026 9:05:00 AM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS – Former University of Minnesota wrestling head coach J Robinson passed away Sunday, March 29. He was 79 years old.
Robinson led the Gophers for 30 seasons from the 1985-86 campaign through the 2015-16 season. He developed an environment of excellence over those three decades that saw Minnesota rise to elite status in college wrestling. His teams claimed three national championships, while the three-time National Coach of the Year developed 65 All-Americans, 14 individual National Champions, six Big Ten team titles and 31 different Big Ten champions accounting for 49 individual titles.
All told, Robinson's wrestlers amassed a total of 126 All-America honors, including a NCAA-record 10 All-Americans during the National Championship run in 2001. His .753 winning percentage and 440 dual meet victories are both program records.
Robinson's efforts did not go unnoticed by his peers in the wrestling community. In June of 2005, Robinson earned the ultimate honor as he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Stillwater, Okla. He was named the 1998, 2001, and 2012 Dan Gable Coach of the Year by Wrestling Insider News (WIN) Magazine and earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year award in 2001 and 2012. Robinson also has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors seven times in his career, more than any other coach in the conference's history at the time. At the 2002 National Duals in Columbus, Ohio, he was awarded the 2001 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year award for his work and support of wrestling at all levels.
Regarded as one of the top coaches in the country by student-athletes and peers, Robinson was also involved in coaching on the national and international level. He served as an assistant coach on four consecutive U.S. Olympic squads - 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988 - and was the head coach for the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games.
As a wrestler, Robinson competed on two World teams, placing fourth in 1970 and fifth in 1971. He represented the United States in the 1972 Olympic Games and was named to WIN Magazine's All-Olympic team of the century. Robinson captured four national titles during his amateur career, two in freestyle and two in Greco-Roman.
Robinson earned his bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State in 1969, before beginning his service in the military. While at Oklahoma State, he was in the ROTC program and left as a Distinguished Military Graduate, Distinguished Military Student and was offered a Regular Army Commission as a Second Lieutenant in June 1969. Robinson then attended Airborne and Ranger School, as well as Jungle Warfare School, before beginning his tour in Vietnam. His accomplishments in Ranger School included becoming an Honor Graduate, and his first duty station was the officer in charge of the small arms department.
In late 1970 through early 1971, Robinson was attached to the United States Military Academy in the Athletic Department. In February of 1971, he left for Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and then served with the First Cavalry Division as the Information Officer for the Third Brigade. A year later, in February of 1972, Robinson returned to the United States and wrestled for the Army. He would eventually be named to the 1972 Olympic Team, competing in September of 1972. In December of the year, Robinson resigned his commission and began work on his master's degree at the University of Iowa.
Robinson led the Gophers for 30 seasons from the 1985-86 campaign through the 2015-16 season. He developed an environment of excellence over those three decades that saw Minnesota rise to elite status in college wrestling. His teams claimed three national championships, while the three-time National Coach of the Year developed 65 All-Americans, 14 individual National Champions, six Big Ten team titles and 31 different Big Ten champions accounting for 49 individual titles.
All told, Robinson's wrestlers amassed a total of 126 All-America honors, including a NCAA-record 10 All-Americans during the National Championship run in 2001. His .753 winning percentage and 440 dual meet victories are both program records.
Robinson's efforts did not go unnoticed by his peers in the wrestling community. In June of 2005, Robinson earned the ultimate honor as he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Stillwater, Okla. He was named the 1998, 2001, and 2012 Dan Gable Coach of the Year by Wrestling Insider News (WIN) Magazine and earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year award in 2001 and 2012. Robinson also has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors seven times in his career, more than any other coach in the conference's history at the time. At the 2002 National Duals in Columbus, Ohio, he was awarded the 2001 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year award for his work and support of wrestling at all levels.
Regarded as one of the top coaches in the country by student-athletes and peers, Robinson was also involved in coaching on the national and international level. He served as an assistant coach on four consecutive U.S. Olympic squads - 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988 - and was the head coach for the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games.
As a wrestler, Robinson competed on two World teams, placing fourth in 1970 and fifth in 1971. He represented the United States in the 1972 Olympic Games and was named to WIN Magazine's All-Olympic team of the century. Robinson captured four national titles during his amateur career, two in freestyle and two in Greco-Roman.
Robinson earned his bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State in 1969, before beginning his service in the military. While at Oklahoma State, he was in the ROTC program and left as a Distinguished Military Graduate, Distinguished Military Student and was offered a Regular Army Commission as a Second Lieutenant in June 1969. Robinson then attended Airborne and Ranger School, as well as Jungle Warfare School, before beginning his tour in Vietnam. His accomplishments in Ranger School included becoming an Honor Graduate, and his first duty station was the officer in charge of the small arms department.
In late 1970 through early 1971, Robinson was attached to the United States Military Academy in the Athletic Department. In February of 1971, he left for Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and then served with the First Cavalry Division as the Information Officer for the Third Brigade. A year later, in February of 1972, Robinson returned to the United States and wrestled for the Army. He would eventually be named to the 1972 Olympic Team, competing in September of 1972. In December of the year, Robinson resigned his commission and began work on his master's degree at the University of Iowa.
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