Edward N. Robinson

Edward North "Robbie" Robinson (October 15, 1873 – March 10, 1945) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Brown University, University of Maine, and Tufts College—now known as Tufts University, and co-head football coach at Boston University.^[1][2] He also coached for the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.

Edward N. Robinson

Biographical details
Born	(1873-10-15)October 15, 1873 Sabattus, Maine, U.S.
Died	March 10, 1945(1945-03-10) (aged 71) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1892–1895	Brown
Position(s)	Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1896–1897	Nebraska
1898–1901	Brown
1902	Maine
1903	Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
1904–1907	Brown
1909	Tufts
1910–1925	Brown
1926–1929	Boston University
1931	Providence Steam Roller
Baseball
1897	Nebraska
1901	Yale
1902–1903	Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
Head coaching record
Overall	170–113–16 (college football) 4–4–3 (NFL) 8–5–1 (college baseball)
Bowls	0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 WIUFA (1897) 1 MIAA (1902)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1955 (profile)

Early life

Robinson was born in Sabattus, Maine, and attended Danvers High School the Dean Academy.^[3][4] He played halfback for the Brown Bears football team and was a pitcher and right field for the Brown Bears baseball team.^[3] Robinson was selected by Walter Camp in 1895 as a Third Team All-American. He graduated from Brown in 1896 and earned a degree from the Boston University School of Law in 1898.^[5]

Coaching

Football

Robinson began his coaching career at Nebraska. He compiled a 11-4-1 record over two seasons and led Nebraska to its ever first conference championship.^[6] He then coached at his alma mater from 1898 to 1901.^[4] He coached at the University of Maine in 1902 and at Phillips Exeter Academy in 1903.^[7] He returned to Brown in 1904 and remained there until 1907. After one year as the head coach at Tufts, he returned to Brown for his third stint as head coach.^[8] In 1923 he turned down the opportunity to become the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.^[9] Robinson and his assistant Reggie Brown were let go after the 1925 season, ending his 24 year tenure as Brown’s head coach.^[10] On April 2, 1926, athletic director George V. Brown hired Robinson and Brown to coach the Boston University football team.^[11] They served as co-head coaches of BU until 1930, when they were replaced by Hilary Mahaney.^[12] In 1931, Robinson coached the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League.^[13] Under Robinson, the Steam Roller finished the 1931 season 4–4–3 record.^[14]

Baseball

In 1901, Robinson was hired to coach baseball at Yale University.^[15] The following year he led the Phillips Exeter baseball team to a championship.^[16] He was retained by Phillips Exeter for the following season and given the additional role as head football coach.^[7]

Later life

A longtime resident of Danvers, Massachusetts, Robinson spent his later years in Boston's Brighton neighborhood and was in charge of football for the Boston Parks Department.^[3][4] He died on March 10, 1945, at Corey Hill Hospital in Brookline, Massachusetts.^[4]

Head coaching record

College football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Nebraska Bugeaters (Western Interstate University Football Association) (1896–1897)
1896	Nebraska	6–3–1	1–1–1	3rd
1897	Nebraska	5–1	3–0	1st
Nebraska:		11–4–1	4–1–1
Brown Bears (Independent) (1898–1901)
1898	Brown	6–4
1899	Brown	7–3–1
1900	Brown	7–3–1
1901	Brown	4–7–1
Maine Black Bears (Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1902)
1902	Maine	6–2	3–1	1st
Maine:		6–2	3–1
Brown Bears (Independent) (1904–1907)
1904	Brown	6–5
1905	Brown	7–4
1906	Brown	6–3
1907	Brown	7–3
Tufts Jumbos (Independent) (1909)
1909	Tufts	2–6
Tufts:		2–6
Brown Bears (Independent) (1910–1925)
1910	Brown	7–2–1
1911	Brown	7–3–1
1912	Brown	6–4
1913	Brown	4–5
1914	Brown	5–2–1
1915	Brown	5–4–1			L Rose
1916	Brown	8–1
1917	Brown	8–2
1918	Brown	2–3
1919	Brown	5–4–1
1920	Brown	6–3
1921	Brown	5–3–1
1922	Brown	6–2–1
1923	Brown	6–4
1924	Brown	5–4
1925	Brown	5–4–1
Brown:		140–82–12
Boston University Terriers/Pioneers (Independent) (1926–1929)
1926	Boston University	2–6
1927	Boston University	3–4–1
1928	Boston University	3–3–2
1929	Boston University	3–6
Boston University:		11–19–3
Total:		170–113–16

NFL

Team	Year	Regular season					Post season
		Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
PSR	1931	4	4	3	.500	6th	–	–	–	–
PSR Total		4	4	3	.500	–	–	–	–
Total		4	4	3	.500	–	–	–	–

References

1. "Going Back to Brown: Edward N. Robinson Again Appointed Football Coach There - With Tufts Last Year". The Boston Daily Globe. February 12, 1910.
2. "Marsters Is Engaged as Co-Coach of Eleven At Boston University for Coming Season". The New York Times. January 19, 1930.
3. Mack, Gene (November 14, 1924). "Coaches Who Once Played the Game: Edward N. Robinson, Brown". The Boston Daily Globe.
4. "Ed Robinson; Noted Football Mentor, Dies". The Boston Daily Globe. March 11, 1945.
5. "Edward N. Robinson Former Brown grid coach". New York Daily News. New York, New York. Associated Press. March 11, 1945. p. 76. Retrieved October 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
6. "Mick Stoltenberg on Nebraska's future". The Breeze. January 17, 2019.
7. "Decide on Robinson". The Boston Daily Globe. January 31, 1903.
8. "Going Back to Brown". The Boston Daily Globe. February 12, 1910.
9. "Brown Coach Turns Down Alabama Job". The Boston Daily Globe. January 26, 1923.
10. "Robinson Not to Coach at Brown Next Season". The Boston Daily Globe. December 24, 1925.
11. Hallahan, John (April 3, 1926). "Robinson and Brown Signed to Coach B. U.". The Boston Daily Globe.
12. "Marsters Is Engaged as Co-Coach of Eleven At Boston University for Coming Season". The New York Times. January 19, 1930.
13. Sportsman (February 16, 1931). "Tips and Topics". The Boston Daily Globe.
14. "Ed Robinson Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
15. "School News". Yale Alumni Weekly. March 8, 1901. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
16. "Triumph for the Coach: Much of the Credit for Exeter's Victory Due to Edward N. Robinson". The Boston Daily Globe. June 9, 1902.

External links

• Edward N. Robinson at the College Football Hall of Fame