Elijah Robinson
{{Short description|American football coach (born 1985)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Elijah Robinson
| image = Elijah Robinson at the Syracuse Orange football quad walk (2024) 02.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Robinson with the Syracuse Orange in 2024
| current_title = Defensive coordinator
| current_team = Syracuse
| current_conference = ACC
| current_record =
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|5|25}}
| birth_place = Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| player_years1 = 2004–2007
| player_team1 = Penn State
| player_positions = Defensive tackle, offensive guard
| coach_years1 = 2009–2010
| coach_team1 = Penn State (GA)
| coach_years2 = 2011
| coach_team2 = Penn State (GA/DL)
| coach_years3 = 2012–2013
| coach_team3 = Penn State ({{abbr|DCR|director of community relations}}/{{abbr|NFLL|National Football League liaison}})
| coach_years4 = 2014–2015
| coach_team4 = Temple (DL)
| coach_years5 = 2016
| coach_team5 = Temple (DL/RGC)
| coach_years6 = 2017
| coach_team6 = Baylor (DL)
| coach_years7 = 2018–2021
| coach_team7 = Texas A&M (DL)
| coach_years8 = 2022
| coach_team8 = Texas A&M (DL/RGC)
| coach_years9 = 2023
| coach_team9 = Texas A&M (DL/co-DC/AHC)
| coach_years10 = 2023
| coach_team10 = Texas A&M (interim HC)
| coach_years11 = 2024–present
| coach_team11 = Syracuse (AHC/DC)
| overall_record = 1–2
| bowl_record = 0-1
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Elijah Robinson (born May 25, 1985) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator of the Syracuse Orange. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and has coached them as well as the Temple Owls, Baylor Bears, and Texas A&M Aggies.
Early life and education
Robinson was born on May 25, 1985, and grew up in Camden, New Jersey.{{cite web|url=https://12thman.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/elijah-robinson/1604|publisher=Texas A&M Aggies|title=Elijah Robinson}} He attended Camden High School before transferring to Woodrow Wilson High School as a senior.{{Cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer/135080243/|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 4, 2004|page=E1, [https://newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer/135080449/ E9]|title=After one-year wait, lineman lands with Penn State|author=Narducci, Marc}} {{Open access}} At Woodrow Wilson, he helped them win the state championship with a 15–0 record and was chosen first-team All-South Jersey at center while also totaling 13 sacks on defense.{{Cite news|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/sports/college/aggies/2023/11/12/elijah-robinson-texas-am-football-jimbo-fisher-interim-coach-aggies/71559344007/|newspaper=Austin American-Statesman|title=Who is Elijah Robinson? Texas A&M assistant takes over as interim coach after Jimbo Fisher|date=November 12, 2023|author=Meyer, Craig}} He committed to play college football for the Tulane Green Wave and joined the team in 2003, but was ruled ineligible shortly before the season as he had not been approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse. He stayed in shape, became eligible with a passing SAT score, and re-committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions.
As a freshman in 2004 at Penn State, Robinson appeared in three games and had one tackle while playing defensive tackle.{{Cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer/135081437/|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 11, 2007|page=C4|title=Penn State lineman ending career}} {{Open access}} He redshirted in 2005. He moved to playing on the offensive line in 2006. In spring 2007, Robinson was injured in practice and, when being checked out, was discovered to have a spinal condition that made him at risk of being paralyzed when playing football.{{Cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/courier-post/135081658/|newspaper=Courier-Post|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 12, 2007|page=41, [https://newspapers.com/article/courier-post/135081897/ 43]|title=A risk he couldn't take|author=Benevento, Don}} {{Open access}} He then retired from football rather than take the risk from playing. Robinson graduated from Penn State in 2008 with a bachelor's degree and later earned a master's degree in 2012.
Robinson is a member of the Eta Alpha chapter of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CMNgrfJJTT5/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=www.instagram.com}}
Coaching career
After graduating from Penn State, Robinson was a graduate assistant with the school from 2009 to 2011; he was an academic graduate assistant the first year and assisted the defense the following two years. He also served as the defensive line coach for a portion of the 2011 season. From 2012 to 2013, he served under coach Bill O'Brien as the team's director of community relations and National Football League (NFL) liaison.
Robinson was hired as the defensive line coach for the Temple Owls in 2014.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2014/01/temple_hires_penn_states_elija.html|newspaper=The Patriot-News|title=Temple hires Penn State's Elijah Robinson to be new defensive line coach: Report|date=January 16, 2014|author=Tuscano, John}} He added the role of run game coordinator in 2016. He helped three players earn first-team all-conference honors at Temple, including future NFL player Haason Reddick, and in 2016 the team tied the program record with 10 wins while being a top-25 defense nationally for rush defense and yards allowed per attempt. In 2017, he was hired under Matt Rhule to serve as the defensive line coach for the Baylor Bears.{{Cite news|url=https://wacotrib.com/sports/college/baylor/3-temple-defensive-coaches-to-join-rhule-s-baylor-staff/article_5b3b7d37-9233-5ffe-a26e-f012105dc0ad.html|newspaper=Waco Tribune-Herald|title=3 Temple defensive coaches to join Rhule’s Baylor staff|date=December 9, 2016}} He was hired as the defensive line coach of the Texas A&M Aggies in 2018. He helped them rank ninth-best nationally in defense in 2020 and in 2021 the entire starting defensive line he coached was signed into the NFL. He was made the team's run game coordinator in 2022 while retaining his role of defensive line coach, and in 2023 changed to being co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach in addition to defensive line coach. After head coach Jimbo Fisher was fired with two games remaining, Robinson was promoted to interim head coach.
On December 3, 2023, Robinson accepted the defensive coordinator position at Syracuse University.{{cite web | last=Leiker | first=Emily | title=Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson set to become Syracuse football’s defensive coordinator (report) | website=syracuse.com | date=2023-12-03 | url=https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2023/12/texas-am-interim-head-coach-elijah-robinson-set-to-become-syracuse-footballs-defensive-coordinator-report.html | access-date=2024-09-05}}
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Texas A&M Aggies
| conf = Southeastern Conference
| startyear = 2023
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2023
| name = Texas A&M
| overall = 1–2
| conference = 0–1
| confstanding = 4th {{small|(West)}}
| bowlname = Texas
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Texas A&M
| overall = 1–2
| confrecord = 0–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 1–2
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- [https://cuse.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/elijah-robinson/5830 Syracuse Orange profile]
- [https://12thman.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/elijah-robinson/1604 Texas A&M profile]
{{Texas A&M Aggies football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Elijah}}
Category:American football defensive tackles
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Baylor Bears football coaches
Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football coaches
Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football players
Category:Temple Owls football coaches
Category:Texas A&M Aggies football coaches
Category:Camden High School (New Jersey) alumni
Category:Eastside High School (Camden, New Jersey) alumni
Category:Coaches of American football from New Jersey
Category:Players of American football from Camden, New Jersey